Fox Fire 3
by swirlheart
Summary: Years have passed and now Naruto is the Hokage. When his inexperienced son begs him for a high ranking mission, Naruto has to refuse. Unwilling to take no for an answer, Boruto leaves the village to do the mission anyway. There's no telling what this unprepared ninja will face completely alone. Well, maybe not completely. Rated T for minor language and fight scenes. R&R please.
1. Chapter 1

Fox Fire 3:

Years have passed and now Naruto is the Hokage. When his inexperienced son begs him for a high ranking mission, Naruto has to refuse. Unwilling to take no for an answer, Boruto leaves the village to do the mission anyway. There's no telling what this unprepared ninja will face completely alone. Well, maybe not completely. R&R please.

Naruto and its characters belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. This is just a fanfiction. I make no profit. This was just written for fun. The only thing I own is my imagination and the OCs that appear, like the kitsune.

 **Chapter 1:**

After graduating from the academy, young ninja were assigned a sensei to further their training and take them on missions. The first missions they went on were very low ranking but perfect for the beginning ninja. These simple missions ranged from finding a lost pet to working on farmland doing odd jobs. There was very little danger in these sort of missions. Something a certain blond ninja hated.

So much so that he finally worked up the nerve to complain to the Hokage. Actually, he had plenty of nerve. He just wanted to stew in his rage a little longer to build it up a bit more. His father told him getting worked up would not make the Hokage listen any better. He would know, seeing as how the Hokage and the boy's father happened to be the same person.

"Assign me a better mission!" Boruto demanded.

"I can't do that," said the Hokage. "Take your pick from any of these missions. Those are your choices."

"But they're all D-rank missions! I want something better! Give me a higher ranked mission!"

Shikamaru leaned over in his chair to speak with the Hokage in a hushed tone. "Sound familiar, Naruto?"

"Quit smirking."

Boruto slammed his hands on the table to get his father to look at him. "I'm a great ninja. You said so yourself. How am I supposed to prove that if you keep giving me low ranking missions like this?"

"Because that's how it works," explained Naruto. "You just graduated. You're new to this. A ninja first starting out is given missions of this rank and then work up to the higher ones you want. Those are the rules."

"Then bend them! You're the Hokage. You can do it."

"No, I can't."

"Then what's the point in being the Hokage if you can't do whatever you want?"

"What I want?" Naruto raised his brow. "Sounds like it's all about what you want."

"You're my dad!"

"So I should give you special treatment? How is that fair to the rest of the village? To the rest of the ninja just starting out?"

Boruto was getting even more worked up by not getting his way. He expected to have a better mission by now but the conversation wasn't going as well as he had hoped. He tried to reason with his father.

"But I already did a bunch of D-ranked missions and completed all of them."

"You only went on two missions," said Naruto. He held up his fingers. "Two."

"But I didn't fail any of them."

"Two!"

"So what?" said Boruto. "I got experience. Now give me a harder mission."

"Two missions isn't enough. The whole point of giving you these low ranking missions is to give you experience so when you do eventually get a harder mission, you'll be able to handle it. You have to work your way up to those harder missions. You can't just get them out of the gate. They're dangerous."

"I know that. But I didn't fail any of my classes and I passed all the missions I've been given without breaking a sweat. I think I know what I'm doing. I can handle something tougher."

"He didn't pass by much..." muttered Shikamaru. "Just ask Shino."

"You're not ready for those missions yet," said Naruto. "You need more experience. Two D missions aren't going to cut it."

Boruto tried bargaining next. At least his version of it. "Alright, how about this? Instead of giving me an A-ranked mission, you give me a C or something. That's fair, right? I've already done some D ones so next comes C."

Naruto sighed, thinking it over. Shikamaru glanced his way, wondering if he was going to do as his son wished. It didn't take a genius to know it wasn't a good idea. Even those low ranking missions Boruto took were all local. He didn't have to travel far and he had his team with him. Even by some miracle Boruto was ready for something harder, were they? Naruto had to consider the rest of his son's team and not do just what his child wanted.

"Alright, I'll make you a deal," said Naruto. "I'll give you a C-ranked mission..."

"Yes! Boruto's celebration was a bit too early.

"After you successfully complete five more D-ranked missions."

Boruto just about threw a fit. "What?! That's not fair!"

"It's plenty fair," argued Naruto. "Two missions isn't enough to prove that you're ready. Most green ninja like you have at least ten under their belt before moving on to tougher ones. Consider yourself lucky I'm allowing you a C mission after completing eight."

"Seven," Shikamaru corrected.

"Right, seven."

That wasn't good enough for Boruto. "No way! I'm ready for a C now! I've already done D missions. I-"

"I heard you the first time. But two is not enough. Complete five more and then I'll give you a C." Naruto pushed some assignments forward. "If you pick one now, you'll only have four more left to go. If you're as good as you say, it should be easy. You'll do it in no time and you'll be off on your first C mission."

Boruto refused. "I wouldn't waste my time. Just give it to me now."

"I'll give it to you alright!"

"Naruto..." Shikamaru said in a warning tone. "You're arguing with a twelve-year old."

"He's pushing me. You saw."

"Who's the adult here?"

Naruto sat back down, sighing through his nose like a bull ready to charge. He had to calm down.

Boruto folded his arms. He wasn't going anywhere until he got what he wanted.

When Naruto ignored him, Boruto approached the table to take a look at the missions. Normally, ninja in his position weren't allowed to look through the assignments on the Hokage's desk, but Naruto told him he could take a look. Naruto was more lax than other Hokages. Either that or it was simply because he was the son of the Hokage. It was a shame that didn't allow him to go on the missions that he wanted, though he thought it would. What was the point in being the son of the Hokage if it didn't give him special treatment?

"This one." Boruto pointed to one of the papers. "I want this one."

Naruto looked at his choice. "That's a C," he said in an annoyed tone.

"I want it."

"I don't care if you do. You're going on five more D missions before I assign you a C. Those are the rules."

"It's not fair!"

"Everyone has to do it."

"But if the whole point is to gain experience, then I am ready! I can do it!"

"And the rest of your squad? Can your team handle it, too?" Naruto asked.

Shikamaru was pleased to hear that Naruto was thinking along the same lines as he was. He, too, was looking out for Boruto's team. He was considering them as well.

"Then I'll go alone."

"You can't do that," Naruto and Shikamaru said at once.

"Why not?"

"Because these missions are completed in a squad. Not solo. That would be far too dangerous. If something bad goes down, there will be no one there to help you. That would be troublesome."

"Did you even stop to consider how they would feel about this? If they were ready?"

Boruto didn't want to lose his nerve in front of his father so he stood his ground and kept the same determined expression on his face. He was not going to back down. "Even if they're not as ready as I am, I still want that mission. I'll carry my team if I have to."

"Listen to me, Boruto. When I was your age, I wanted a higher mission, too. I felt the same way you do. But I had to take a whole bunch of D missions before I was even considered for a C and I complained every step of the way. I learned a lot. I gained experience and it's helped me in missions down the road. I'm telling you, you're not ready."

"The hell I'm not!"

"I get where you're coming from. Believe me. I've been there. I understand. But two missions isn't enough. Which is why I'm telling you to take just a few more and then and only then will I give you a C. It's not just to prove you can handle it. It's for your own good as well."

"I don't have to prove myself to you!" snapped Boruto. "I'm ready for this. Just give me the mission already!"

Naruto had enough of this redundant argument with his son. They were going in circles and he was sick of it and his attitude. "Either take the five missions or get out of my office. You're wasting my time."

To Boruto, that translated as he was a waste of time and that his father did not care about him. That he was unworthy and his father thought very little of him.

He was also upset that he still had not gotten his way. His father wasn't wearing down. No matter how much he repeated himself or how loudly he shouted, Naruto wasn't giving in. It was frustrating.

Boruto slapped the D-ranked assignments off the desk screaming, "Screw you!"

Naruto had a temper as well. "Hey, you little brat!" Naruto stood up out of his seat and leaned over the table. "It's not that I don't believe in you! Those are the rules and I can't change them just because you don't like them! They're in place for a reason and make sense. Stop being selfish and think about other people for a change! Your teammates might not be ready for this. These missions get dangerous and you have no clue! You're not ready! Not in terms of skill or emotions. Get more experience and then come see me about a more advanced mission! It's dangerous out there and if you're not ready, you won't be able to handle it and I don't want anything to happen to you!"

"I'll be fine!"

"These missions aren't a game! It gets dangerous out there. If you're not ready, you could get yourself killed! Every time you go on one of these missions, you're risking your life!"

"Like you care!"

"Of course I do, otherwise I wouldn't be saying any of this!" Naruto pointed at the papers on the floor. "D before C. Take them or you won't get a C mission or anything higher."

"I don't need them! If I take a C mission, then I'll gain even more experience! More than I would with a D. Let's skip the small stuff and get right into the action. It makes sense."

"You learn to crawl before you walk."

"But if you walk then you won't need to know how to crawl. So just show me how to walk right off the bat so I won't need the first part. It's a waste of time."

"Saying this stuff just proves to me that you're not ready. You don't know what you're doing. Some things you have to know first. You're skipping important lessons and skills that you need. You can't just jump in. And you can't expect to figure it out in the heat of battle. Be smart about this."

Boruto wasn't going to win the argument. Now Naruto was never going to give him that C mission because he felt Boruto didn't deserve it. He was proving to his father that he wasn't ready for an advanced mission. Especially with this immature attitude.

Instead of thinking the fault was on him, Boruto took it as his father having no faith in him.

Fuming, Boruto stormed out of the office. "Stupid idiot..." He turned once and yelled back at his father. "You're such an ass!" He ran into the hallway and kept going.

Naruto sat back down and slumped in his seat with a heavy sigh. Now that his son was out of the room, he felt calmer, but his stress levels were up.

"Shikamaru..."

"Yeah?"

"As my adviser... Where were you when I decided to have kids?"

"Hm?"

"You could have advised me not to." Naruto tuned to look at him. "Remind me never to have kids..."

Shikamaru laughed. "If only we could go back. Then I'd be happy to tell you. But knowing you, you probably wouldn't listen to me anyway. Always doing your own thing."

"Yeah..." Naruto sighed. "Just like my kid."

"Like looking in a mirror, isn't it?"

Naruto rubbed his temples. "I swear, I'm never having another one... This guy's a handful enough. Thank God his sister's still sweet and easy to handle."

Shikamaru patted him on the shoulder. "Thank God I only have one."

"That you know of," added Naruto.

"Don't even joke."

* * *

Boruto ran straight home and into his room. His response to his mother's welcome was a slammed door.

He kicked the side of his dresser and threw himself on the bed. "Stupid moron..!" He had a feeling his father wouldn't let him have his way, but he had hoped he could wear him down a little. Begging, demanding, reasoning, bargaining. Nothing worked.

He couldn't stand the thought of going through five more of those boring missions where he never had to draw his weapon once. They were a waste of his time and skills. He could do so much. He could make Shadow Clones just like his father. He had a lot of energy and chakra. Even his father had told him he had what it took to be a great ninja. Now all he had to do was prove it.

He had a lot to live up to. His father was the Hokage, so it was expected that his children would be great, too. He had to impress people and be a great ninja. Even surpass his own father. It wasn't just his bloodline he had to live up to. It was his teammate. She was the daughter of Sakura and Sasuke, two of his father's teammates. Also acclaimed ninja in their own right. They were considered elite ninja of the Leaf. She was expected to be a great ninja, too. She was skilled and powerful, even for her age. Boruto couldn't let her outshine him.

Though they had only just graduated, Boruto felt the need to pick up the pace. He felt he should be out there fighting other ninja, not rescuing lost animals in the woods. That was kid stuff. He didn't consider himself to be a child, even if his age and attitude begged to differ.

He felt he was ready. Good enough was good enough.

He imagined what it would be like to get a high ranking mission before anyone else in his class. He thought it would not only give him bragging rights but would also give him the experience everyone said he should have. He'll be a step above everyone else. He'll be a great ninja before the others.

Gaining experience, being assigned to an advanced mission... It would make him a real ninja. This was his chance to prove himself.

Boruto pulled a piece of paper out of his jacket and smoothed it out over his knee. It was the C-rank mission he wanted that his father wouldn't assign him. When he slapped the papers off the desk, he quickly snatched this up before anyone could notice.

If no one was going to assign it to him, then he was going to take it upon himself. He was taking this mission, whether the Hokage would give it to him or not.

Boruto read the mission's details. The location, what the assignment entailed and all the objectives. It told about a place further from the Leaf where some shady men were lurking. They were thieves and they were heading for an area where a royal family lived and traded. The mission was to stop the thieves and make sure the royal family and their riches were kept safe.

"Seems simple enough," Boruto said to himself. "I don't see why I can't handle something like this."

Boruto looked around his room, thinking. It would probably be best not to tell his teammates about this. They would probably tell the Hokage or some other people who might try to stop him. Boruto had never taken on a mission alone before. Thinking back to what his father and Shikamaru had said about needing people with you on assignments gave him an idea.

"Think how impressed they'll be if I take on a mission all by myself. And a C mission, no less."

They would have to take him seriously then. If he could handle a C mission alone, he would not only prove himself to be a worthy ninja but they would have no choice but to assign him more advanced missions. He would be a true ninja.

Though it might have been foolish and dangerous to go alone on any sort of mission, Boruto figured his clones would be able to help him if he got into trouble. They would be there for him if he needed them. He could be his own team.

His mother knocked on the door and Boruto shoved the assignment under his pillow. "Uh, y- yeah?"

"Are you alright in there?" Hinata opened the door. "Did something happen?"

"No, no. Everything's fine."

Hinata knew he had gone to speak to the Hokage about a mission. He had been planning it for days, ranting and pacing through the house, then running off to do it elsewhere. She knew. She also knew that no matter how much he bagged, Naruto would not give in. Not even to his own son. Or perhaps that was one of the reasons why he couldn't give in.

"Honey, I'm sorry your father didn't give you an advanced mission like you wanted. But nobody gets one of those for a while. Not when they're first starting out. You'll get your chance."

"Yeah, I know." Boruto wasn't worked up anymore. He was a lot calmer now that he had his own mission to carry out. He was going on this mission whether his father wanted him to or not. What did he have to be upset about now that he was getting his way?

"You hungry?"

Boruto was going to decline but he knew he had to get some food in him for this mission. He would be traveling a great distance. He needed energy for his travels. He needed other supplies for the journey, too. "Sure, mom. I could eat."

This was the prefect way to do it without looking suspicious. He could eat and grab as much food as he could for the mission without calling attention to himself.

Boruto ate as much as he could, with his mother reminding him that dinner would be in a few hours. As she moved through the house, doing the chores and cooking the evening meal, Boruto gathered up some food from around the kitchen. He grabbed cookies, some snack bars, some fruit and a bottle of water. He pretended to carry his plate to the sink when he was actually hiding some crackers under it so his mother wouldn't notice. He caught a lucky break when his sister called for their mother to come look at something she saw outside.

Boruto scurried up to his room and started to pack his bag. He had to travel light but he had to be prepared for any number of things. He made sure he had his food packed and his water. He had bandages, some money, a small blanket and a map. He made sure he had his weapons and all his ninja tools. He wasn't sure what else he needed for a mission like this so he declared it finished. He was all packed.

Next, Boruto grabbed the assignment from under his pillow and secured his bag to his back. He was ready to go.

Now was the prefect time to leave. His father wouldn't be home for hours and his mother was busy cooking and tending to their other child. Boruto felt bad about not telling them where he was going, but he knew they would tell his father or his mother would try to stop him herself.

Rather than go out the window as he had originally planned, he went out the front door, thinking if his mother went to check on him later, she wouldn't panic when she discovered he wasn't there. If she heard a door slam shut then she would think he went out and was somewhere in the village. He thought it was a great plan. He made sure his mother was within earshot when he closed the front door so she would hear it. It wasn't uncommon for him to leave the house several times a day to go train or to hang out with his friends or simply to go for a walk, so she wouldn't see this as odd.

Boruto quickly left the village, taking advantage of the security guard at the gate dropping something under his seat. No one noticed him. By the time his father came home and discovered him missing, Boruto would be too far away. He would have put too much distance between them. Hopefully by the time Naruto finally caught up to him, his mission would be complete and he could rub it in his face.

He smiled to himself, thinking he was very clever. "Of course I'm ready for this mission. I can do it, no problem. Dad doesn't know what he's talking about. What's the worst that can happen?"

* * *

Keep an eye out for familiar characters!

Please review! ^-^


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

After putting a few miles between him and the village, Boruto pulled out the map and assignment to figure out where he was. He followed the map accordingly and pressed on. After another hour, he checked the map again to make sure he was going the right way.

"I'm even checking the map to make sure. Ha! If only my dad could see me now. He'd be so impressed. He's an idiot for thinking I wasn't ready for this. Look how efficient I am. Checking the map and everything. I can handle this. I'm doing everything right."

After two hours, Boruto came to a fork in the road. He checked the map and took one of the three paths. Another hour passed and the road split off again. He took the left path and when he came to another fork in the road, he took the path on the far right.

"This is too easy."

The sun was setting quickly and the path he was on took him deep into the woods. He could hardly see the map in the diminishing light. He took out his flashlight and shined it on the map. He came to another split path and consulted the map again. He took one of the two paths and kept going. It was getting so dark, he could hardly see the path. He shined the flashlight forward to light his way.

As time when on, the forest grew louder with strange sounds. Most of them were bugs but some were sounds he had never heard before. It was creepy. Some bugs were flying towards him, attracted to the light. He got bitten many times. He picked up the pace, hoping to outrun the pesky insects.

"This is nothing I can't handle." A few bugs weren't going to stop him.

Then something else came his way. A wild boar came charging from the forest and onto the path. It was in a foul mood and wanted to take his rage out on the young ninja. Boruto ran from it, wondering what he had done to tick it off. Was it the light that bothered it? He quickly shut off the flashlight, hoping that would be enough to send the boar on its way. When he had done that, he was plunged into darkness. His eyes hadn't adjusted to the night because of the flashlight's brightness. He was running blind and went right into a tree. He staggered up and kept running. He fell down a steep hill, still unable to see anything. He was off the path now and the boar was still coming.

"Stupid thing!" Boruto stood up and drew his weapon. A real ninja didn't run from a fight. If this boar wanted to mess with him, he was going to put up a fight.

The boar came his way, charging. Boruto's eyes were still adjusting to the darkness, but he could see the boar coming. When it came close, Boruto stabbed the boar with his kunai. The boar was still charging. It trampled over his leg and knocked him to the ground. The boar was much stronger than he thought, especially when it was moving at this speed. Boruto's hand slipped down the kunai, cutting his hand on the blade. He winced at the pain but didn't have any time to examine it. The boar was still coming and now it was angry. The kunai was still in its back.

"The hell with this." Boruto ran deeper into the woods, hoping to lose it. The boar was on him like a shadow. Boruto ran up the side of a tree, flipped through the air and landed behind the boar. He pulled his kunai free and tried to stab it again. The blade sank into its thick body but the boar wasn't going down. This thing was tough. "I don't have time for this. I have a mission to get to."

Boruto took his kunai back and ran. If he kept wasting his energy on a wild boar, he wouldn't have any energy to fight real tough human beings. This boar was just a wild animal, not an enemy. Though he didn't like leaving without finishing what he started, he had to. For the sake of the mission. He convinced himself that he didn't lose to a boar. He was dedicating his efforts to something far more important. This wasn't a loss but a sacrifice.

At last the boar was finally gone. Boruto was so relieved. He quickly bandaged his hand with a cloth from his bag. Now he had to find his way back to the path in the dark. He wandered around for a while, then found the trail. Now which way was it, left or right? One path would lead him back home, the other would take him to his mission.

This was a tough one. Boruto couldn't tell which way he had come from. He didn't backtrack to get here. He wandered. Depending on which way he had arrived back at the path, it was either left or right from here. The map wouldn't tell him and he had neglected to pack a compass. He tried to look around for something familiar. He turned the flashlight back on and searched for something that could mark his way. Maybe a bush or a broken branch or something.

Boruto looked at the sky. "Oh, yeah. The moon was right in front of me. So I just have to follow that. If the moon is behind me, then that's the path home." The smiling moon was to his left so that was the direction Boruto took. "Ha! I got this. Easy."

After a while, the path seemed even longer to Boruto with no end in sight. He knew it would take some time to get there, but he wanted to distance himself from the Leaf Village. He didn't want his father dragging him home before he even got there. He had to keep going, even if he was feeling tired. He didn't think he had gone far enough yet.

Boruto kept walking until the sun rose. He had been walking all night. Now that it was bright enough, he didn't see why he couldn't keep going just a little further. Hours more passed and another split in the road. He took out the map and took the path on the right. Finally stumbling every few steps, Boruto stepped off the road to take a rest. He slept for hours and woke up mid-afternoon. Feeling rested, he kept going.

It was lonely without anyone to talk to but he kept himself entertained. He was feeling pretty proud of himself. He had put a lot of distance between him and his father. There was no way he would catch up to him now. He looked around at the forest and at the sky. He looked behind him at the path he had traveled. This was the furthest from home he had ever traveled. He had never been this far from home before. No mission he went on ever took him this far out or required him to sleep overnight. All his missions took one afternoon. Both of them.

"Well, maybe I don't have all the experience I need from those two missions... But how am I supposed to learn and get better if I don't challenge myself? Taking this mission allowed me to sleep under the sky in the woods for the first time. Would a D mission have given me that? And that boar was nothing."

In daylight, he was able to see the damage that boar had caused. His pants were dirty and his legs were scuffed up from its hooves. His hand was still in the cloth bandage he had wrapped around it last night. Boruto look a closer look at it in the light. The cloth had turned red and brown. It was covered in dirt and blood.

Thinking he should change it, Boruto sat down and took out a clean bandage. Unwrapping the old one, Boruto could see just how bad it was. He had a red line down his palm from the webbing of his thumb, running parallel to his fingers. It had stopped bleeding which was a good sign. He poured water over the wound to clean it which stung. He wrapped it in a fresh bandage and tossed the old one away. The forest could have it.

It was time to get going again.

Feeling hungry, Boruto took out some crackers from his bag and ate as he walked. The salty crackers made him thirsty so he drank from his water bottle. It felt lighter. After pouring some water on his wound and drinking several mouthfuls, his bottle was nearly empty. Only a quarter was left. He had to ration what little he had. Hopefully he would come across a stream and be able to fill it.

He walked several miles before drinking again. Now his bottle was empty and there wasn't a stream to be seen. He looked at the map but it didn't show any bodies of water. Only roads and trees. Maybe he wasn't reading it right. "All these squiggly lines look the same. Is that a road or a stream? A river? Ah, this is annoying!"

He kept walking, hoping to find something. He didn't want to wander off the trail and get lost. According to the map, he was almost there.

After a while, he came across a rest stop by the side of the road. An old woman was running the small shop alone and greeted him warmly with a wrinkled smile. Thinking he could get some water, he went over and greeted her back. She offered him some hot tea and dango. Boruto dug around in his pocket for some money and paid her. He sat on the bench outside and ate his snack and drank his tea. He didn't have a lot of money to begin with and now he had less. He had to be careful.

He got going again and came to a small town. Surely the could buy some water here for his journey. He looked around at all the different shops but everything was pricey. The town itself looked prosperous. Most of the buildings looked quite new and the people were dressed in clean clothes, many of the women wearing jewelry. He had a feeling if he bought water here, it would be very expensive.

Boruto stopped by the river and looked across the water to the land on the other side. The river was narrow but a boat was still needed to cross.

If ninja ever came across a narrow river like this and needed to cross, they would simply use their Chakra to walk across it. It was a short enough distance for them to get to the other side without need of a boat and it wouldn't waste a lot of Chakra. However, Boruto didn't know that technique yet. Having only been on two missions and the academy only teaching its students so much, most young ninja wouldn't know how to use this technique. Most often, it was taught by their squad leader after graduation. Much like Kakashi teaching his students to climb trees without using their hands. That was a lesson taught outside of school. With Boruto being so impatient, he ran off long before his sensei could teach it to him.

Without knowing how to cross any other way, Boruto had to take a boat ride like anybody else.

Boruto looked around the dock area for a ticket booth or something. He couldn't find anything which left him confused.

"Hey, kid. You looking for something?"

He turned around and saw a young man dressed in fisherman's clothing. Thinking this was the person to talk to, Boruto answered him.

"Yeah. I'm trying to get across the river here, but I can't find a ticket booth or anything. You have to pay to cross, right?"

"That's how it works, kid. I can help you out."

"Really?" Boruto smiled. "That would be great."

The young man looked Boruto over. "Just you crossing then? And you're how old?"

"Twelve."

"Alrighty then." The man frowned. "Oh, dear... Without a parent with you, I'm not sure you'll have enough for the boat. How much do you have on you?"

Boruto dug around in his pocket and fished out what little money he had left, counting it in front of the man.

"Looks like you have just enough," said the man. He took all of Boruto's money and handed him a ticket. "Lucky you. Now hurry up before the boat takes off."

"Thanks." Ticket in hand, Boruto hurried to the dock.

Men and women were starting to board the small boat. The man on the dock called out for any last minute riders and Boruto sprinted over. The man let him pass and Boruto hurried onto the boat. He took a seat and waited for the boat to take off.

Boruto looked down at the ticket in his hand. The man on the dock let him pass without asking to see his ticket. Maybe they checked tickets during the ride. Trains did the same thing. Boruto looked around at the other passengers. Many of them were holding shopping bags and some were mothers with their children. He tried to see if any of them were holding their tickets in hand, but Boruto couldn't tell. Many of their hands were hidden in their pockets, behind bags or holding onto their children or were folded in their laps.

The boat took off and Boruto sat back to enjoy the ten minute ride over to the other side. This was fun. He had never been on a boat ride before. He had only heard about it. He turned in his seat to watch the water slapping against the side of the boat. He inhaled the unique scent and watched the water sparkle in the sunlight.

Finally, they reached the other side and the boat came to an uneasy stop. Boruto could feel the boat waving back and forth on the water, rocking him from side to side and up and down. The boat was tied to the dock and the passengers stepped off one by one. Boruto was one of the last ones to leave.

There was a man on the dock helping the people step off. "Watch your step, ma'am. Watch your step. Watch your step. Watch your-"

"Excuse me."

The man looked down at Boruto. "Yes, son?"

"Uh... I noticed that no one asked to see my ticket. Don't you have to punch it or something?"

The man gave him a puzzled look. "What ticket?"

"The ticket you buy at the dock to ride the boat." Boruto held it up.

The man still looked puzzled. "There are no tickets for purchase at the dock."

"Huh?"

"This is a free boat ride. Everyone gets to ride for free. You don't have to buy anything."

Boruto stared at the man for a second in confusion. Then he crumbled the ticket and roared, "That stinky, lying, cheating son of a..! He scammed me! That jerk!"

The man sighed. "You're an outsider, aren't you? Whoever scammed you must have seen you coming. Might have been looking lost around the docks and came over to help you. Sorry you got scammed, son."

"He took all my money!" Boruto snapped. Then his anger changed to despair. "He took all my money..." Now he had nothing. What was he supposed to do?

"Sorry, son, but that guy is long gone by now. He probably took your money and ran. You probably won't see him or your money again. Sorry to tell you that."

Out of desperation and wishful thinking, Boruto asked, "Any chance you can pay me back the money he took?"

The man laughed and sent him on his way.

Boruto felt so cheated. Granted, it wasn't a lot of money, but it was everything he had.

However, rather than buy water, Boruto decided to fill his bottle here at the river's edge. This water was free. He bent down by the edge of the dock and filled his water bottle. When he pulled it out of the river, he pulled back in disgust. Rather than have clear water, it was gray and brown with specks floating around inside the bottle. The water was all muddy and gross! He couldn't drink this and now his bottle was ruined, too. Even if he dumped this water out, there would still be traces of it in his bottle. The thought of drinking the river's backwash had Boruto gagging. He threw his bottle in the nearest trashcan he could find.

This bit of bad news and misfortune wasn't enough to discourage him from his journey. He would press on no matter what came his way. This was nothing!

Boruto took out his map and checked to see what path he should take. According to this, he should reach his destination by this evening. Boruto folded up the map and pressed on. Nothing was going to stand in his way.

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

Naruto leaned back in his chair and stretched. "It's getting pretty late. Are we finished for today, Shikamaru?"

"Let's see... You've signed those and those and these... You met with them... Ok... And you've just finishing the last thing on the list for today... So, yes, we're done for the day."

"Good." Naruto flopped down on his desk. "I'm tired and hungry."

"Yeah, me, too. I should be getting home."

Naruto turned his head to the side. "Hey, Shikamaru?"

"Yeah?"

"I know where Boruto's coming from. I've been there myself. I want to prove myself, too. I remember how I was when I was younger."

"Yeah." Shikamaru smiled. "He's a lot like you."

"So's your kid. It's like looking in a freaking mirror."

"I know, right?" Shikamaru sighed. "But unlike with you, I think Boruto has another reason for acting the way that he is."

"Oh?"

"I could be mistaken... but I think he wants to impress you. And spend time with you. I bet he's thinking if he goes on one of these harder missions, you'll come with him. Or that you'll be impressed. One way or another, he wants to get your attention."

"Yeah. I know he does." Naruto sighed into the table. "I know what it's like. But you're right. Unlike me, he has a parent to impress. He wants me to be there. But with me, mine couldn't be there. I know how important it is, but I have a lot of responsibilities now and I can't be with him as much as he wants me to be. I try, but he wants my undivided attention all the time. Even when I am there for him, it's not enough. But what can I do?"

"I know. It's not on you."

Naruto rubbed his head. "He's a lot like me and with me having to do all these things as the Hokage... It's a bad combination for him. But sometimes, I don't think that kid is ever satisfied. Even when I pay attention to him, he runs off and complains. There's no winning with him, is there? When I'm not there, he wants my attention. When I give him attention, he act like he doesn't want it and runs off."

"Kids are complicated and as parents we don't know what we're doing."

"You're supposed to be a genius. You figure it out."

Shikamaru sighed. "At this point, I don't think even Boruto knows what he wants. It's his age, his personality. There are a lot of factors. Eventually he'll grow up."

"He just has to be difficult." Naruto lifted himself off the desk. "Alright, let's get going."

"At long last."

"Speaking of genius, Shikamaru, my kid did pass in school. Unlike me, he was actually good at his Jutsu in class."

"True, but he ran his mouth a lot and didn't always turn in his assignments on time. That's why Shino was reluctant to pass him. He knew what he was doing and learns quickly, but he didn't exactly show effort from Shino's perspective."

"More to it than that..."

Naruto and Shikamaru left the building together and started to walk home. Then Naruto stopping, thinking of something. "You can head home if you want. I have one thing I have to take care of before I head back."

"Is it important?"

"Yeah. It is."

"Maybe I should go with you."

"Nah. You don't have to." Naruto chuckled. "If you're super late, your wife's going to kill you."

"If I avoid her, that won't happen."

"She'll come looking for you."

Shikamaru chuckled. "That's part of the fun."

"Won't she be mad when she finds you, though?"

He thought about it. "It's a real pain. When she's pissed off, it's troublesome. But..." A twinkle appeared in Shikamaru's eyes. "But sometimes... I like her a little mad."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Whatever floats your boat." He waved. "I'll see you."

"See you. But don't be out too late. You've got a family, too."

"I know. But this is important, too."

Shikamaru returned home while Naruto went off in a different direction. Within minutes, he arrived at a building and the guards allowed him inside. He took the long hallway to the stairs and went underground. His footsteps echoed off the stone walls. It was very dark. His only source of light were from the electric lamps along the wall. When he reached the bottom of the stairs, a long hallway greeted him. One of the lights flickered above him but he ignored it. He walked passed several doors before he stopped at one. The door had no window. Only a slit closed with a little flap.

Naruto pulled a chair over from the wall and sat down so his head was at level with the small slit. He slid the flap open with his left hand and peered inside.

It was a tiny room. It was dark inside, but the light from the hall shone through the tiny gap in the door, casting a shadow of Naruto's ear onto the far wall. Something inside the room moved.

"Seventh? Is that you?"

Naruto smiled. "Hello, Karada. Glad to see you're awake. I thought I got here too late again."

The figure in the room shifted and the dim light came on inside the tiny room. Now Naruto could see him. Karada was older now though his body didn't show it. He still had the same pale features and frail body. He hadn't grown much taller since the incident several years ago. The only thing that really changed about Karada were his clothes. They weren't the tattered rags he had on before. He sat on the edge of his bed with a docile demeanor which reminded Naruto a little of a bird in a cage.

Karada's cage was small. The only thing in it was a bed along the far wall, and a toilet and a sink in the corner in its own nook. His cell was a small rectangle with no windows. It was a very lonely-looking cell, but this was how Karada lived. Though Naruto had offered him freedom, Karada chose to be a prisoner. He felt it was best for the village. As long as he was locked in a cell, he couldn't be used to hurt others. Karada was a weapon bred in ANBU.

However, now that Naruto was the Hokage, he was granted the opportunity to come to this place and visit Karada whenever he wished. He wasn't able to come here before then without special permission. After all, this was a different kind of prison; one for people trained in ANBU and deemed very dangerous. This was solitary confinement. It was rare for anyone sentenced here to have visitors or to see anything other than the four walls around them. It was a very lonely and quiet place.

After learning more about Karada, Naruto made it his mission to help relieve some of that loneliness and to be something Karada could see besides these four walls. Karada had other visitors, but Naruto wasn't doing this because he felt he had to. He wanted to.

"My Sensei is an old man now," said Karada. "He came to visit me the other day. It's not easy for him to get around anymore. I'm worried about him. I hear he's retired. It's good to see you, Hokage."

"It's good to see you, too. It's been a while. Sorry it's taken me so long to visit you since the last time. One of the times I managed to get away from my duties, you were already asleep and I didn't want to wake you."

"The guard who gave me my meal told me you had been here. Thank you."

"Sure thing." Naruto sat back in his seat. "So, anything you want to talk about? What's on your mind?"

"Well..."

Though many ninja were afraid of Karada because of his ability, several of them had warmed up to the idea of letting Karada out of his cell from time to time and not just for mandatory check-ups. Because Karada was so frail, there wasn't much he could do. When Naruto became Hokage, he scheduled outdoor activity for Karada once a week so he could get some fresh air and see the outdoors. He knew Karada couldn't get much exorcise in his tiny cell so walking outside seemed like a good idea. Karada said it didn't make much sense since he was already so weak he could barely walk up the stairs leading outside. However, Naruto reasoned that Karada would become weaker than he already was if he did no exorcise at all.

From time to time, Naruto would come visit Karada and the two of them would chat. Karada wasn't much of a chatterbox but he shared what was on his mind and seemed to enjoy listening to what Naruto had to say. His visits would take anywhere between a few minutes to an hour, but during that time, however short, Karada seemed happy.

"Ever think of putting some posters or something in there?" Naruto asked peering around his cell through the slit in the door. "Maybe a nice outdoor picture with some trees or something?"

"No, I'm fine. Besides, very little is allowed in these cells. I wouldn't want to break the rules."

"It's not really breaking rules. Besides, as the Hokage, I can make some changes. You're volunteering to stay in there of your own choosing now. So in a way, your cell can have decorations if you wanted. You're not being punished."

"It's alright. I'm fine with things as they are."

"Alright. If you're sure."

"I am. Thank you."

Every now and again, Naruto would try to convince Karada to brighten up his cell but he always refused. His cell had remained the same for years. Naruto was beginning to suspect that Karada had issues with change. Maybe it was because his cell had always been this way, changing it would somehow make it feel strange to him. To him, it was cozy with its four bare walls. Changing that now would only make him uncomfortable. It's been this way for so long, why change it now?

"I'm glad you're doing well." Naruto looked at his watch. "It's getting late. I'd better get going."

"And I'd better get some rest. I'm tired."

"I'll see you again, ok?"

"Take your time, Seventh. I'm not going anywhere."

Naruto gave a soft smile and closed the flap on the door.

* * *

It was getting very late. Night had fallen and the cool evening air filled with the sounds of buzzing insects and frogs. Boruto had a meal of cookies and snack bars along the way, hoping to reach the next village soon. He checked the map by flashlight and saw that it was just a mile ahead of where he was.

He made his way out of the bog and back into the woods. He was feeling tired and sick. He had just eaten the last of his food so there was nothing left for the return journey, but he was so hungry and felt he needed the energy for the up-coming battle which would surely happen. It wasn't a very balanced meal but it was what he had. He had some fruit with him but the contents of his bag had shifted crushing most of it and what was left he surrendered to hungry animals who wouldn't leave him alone otherwise.

He stopped to take a break at the top of a hill among the trees. He sat down against a tree and looked inside his bag. He wished now that he had brought along more supplies. Next time, he was stuffing this thing until it burst. Then he wouldn't have to worry about going hungry or not having enough water.

He looked around and realized that there was a village nearby. He could see the lights through the trees. Boruto quickly took out the assignment and read it. According to the assignment, he was supposed to prevent a group of thieves from stealing from a noble's home. It seemed simple enough.

Boruto packed the assignment and map back into his bag and prepared to enter the village.

Since it was after dark, most of the village was quiet. Boruto entered the village and looked around for the biggest building, thinking that would be the noble's home.

He passed by a stable where several horses were lined up in their stalls, watching him with mild curiosity. He passed by shops which were closed and locked for the night. Some doors opened from houses and different people came outside to throw out the trash or to feed the dogs waiting outside for scrapes. The people barely noticed him as they went back into their homes and closed the door.

Boruto reached the end of the street where he found a large house surrounded by a polished gate. Surely this was the noble's home. It looked so fancy and its walls shined even in the dark.

Someone was lurking outside the gate. Boruto hid behind a trashcan and watched them closely. It was a man dressed in casual clothing. He had short hair and kept looking from side to side. Another man appeared and opened the gate, slipping inside the noble's front yard. Boruto saw a third man standing on the porch of the dwelling and ducked around the corner.

"Those must the the thieves," he thought aloud. "There are only three of them so I can take them out with my Shadow Clones."

Boruto sneaked around behind the building and climbed over the fence. He dashed across the yard and hid behind a large shrub. He saw the man on the porch peering around the corner. He must have been keeping watch while the other two sneaked inside. Now that the man's head was turned, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to take him down.

Boruto dropped his bag on the ground and took out his kunai. Wearing this bag would only weigh him down during the fight. Without it, he could move freely. He left it behind and dashed forward while the man was facing the other direction.

* * *

"I'm home," Naruto said from the doorway.

"Welcome home, Naruto," said Hinata as she rushed to greet him. "We missed you at dinner."

"Yeah, sorry. It was a busy day. Shikamaru went home a little while ago, too."

Hinata fixed Naruto a plate of leftover food and warmed it for him as he sat down. She set the plate of hot food in front of him and sat down at the table. Having just eaten a little while ago, Hinata sat down to watch her husband eat. She didn't mind. She enjoyed watching him.

Naruto started eating. Even the vegetables were good. Naruto always ate everything she made for him. Hinata was a great cook.

"It's good." Naruto continued eating. "Where's Himawari?"

"She's in bed. Just a little while ago."

"I see." Naruto liked saying good-night to his daughter. She was still sweet and showed him a lot of love. Honestly, she was easier than Boruto. "What about Boruto?"

Hinata frowned. "I don't know. I haven't seen him for a while. I thought he was in his room or out with friends."

"He came by the office today," said Naruto. "He begged me for a mission but I refused to give him one. It was too advanced."

Hinata already knew. "He came storming in earlier today. I had a feeling you turned him down. I knew you would. He's not ready."

"Not if he can't listen. But I know how he feels. I've been there." Naruto mopped up what remained of his dinner with a slice of bread. "He must be out blowing off steam somewhere."

"It's awfully late." Hinata was starting to worry.

"Shikamaru was almost bragging about how his kid never begs for a mission. He's fine with what he gets. He asked if I ever wished for my son to be that way. I'm not sure. But some of those missions Boruto wants are too advanced. The one he picked out was too advanced for him but he kept begging no matter how many times I told him no." Naruto reached for another slice of bread. "Come to think of it, we can't find that mission."

"Hm?"

"The paper went missing. I was distributing missions to ninja today and now that I think about it, I never assigned anyone that mission. I remember Boruto asking if he could have it, but I don't remember giving it to anyone." Naruto sighed. "It's probably under the desk or something. Boruto threw a tantrum and knocked the papers off my desk. I'm missing a pen, too. And the chocolate bunny I've been saving for a snack."

Naruto wasn't too concerned. He knew the mission paper would turn up sooner or later. He didn't want to go all the way back to the office now to look for it. It could wait until morning.

"Speaking of snacks," said Hinata, "I noticed that the snack bars on the counter are missing. I could have sworn there were still some there this morning. Did you happen to take any?"

"Not me."

Hinata turning away, thinking. "I'm missing some cookies, too, but Himawari said she didn't take any. Boruto was down here before for a snack so he could have taken some. A few things have gone missing, as a matter of fact."

Naruto drank some water while Hinata kept thinking.

Now that she thought about it, Boruto wasn't as moody as he usually was after being told no by his father. Normally he would sulk for hours on end. Today, he got over it rather quickly. It could have been a sign of maturity but now Hinata was doubting that.

One of the mission papers went missing and now some food was missing. Boruto was nowhere to be found as well and he happened to be interested in the mission that happened to go missing. That couldn't have been a coincidence.

Fearing her son had taken off, Hinata stole a peek into his room with her Byakugan. She could see his room with everything in it but him. He could have been out with friends or out training to prove himself. That's when she noticed that his bag and ninja tools were missing.

"Naruto!"

He flinched and sloshed water down his chin. "What?"

"I think Boruto took off with the mission to do it himself. I think he took that mission you're missing and has left to do it anyway!"

"What?!"

"He can't handle a mission like that and not by himself," cried Hinata. "Go get him!"

"Damn it!" Naruto jumped out of his seat and started rushing around to get what he needed. "I knew that kid was dumb but this takes the cake. Of all the foolish, stupid things he could have done..!"

Of course, Naruto had to admit he might have done the same thing in his position.

"Hey, Hinata..."

"Yeah?"

"Next time we decide to have kids, remind me to say no. Had I known this kid would be a handful, I wouldn't have-"

"You never complained when it came to making them!" Hinata snapped back, her face turning bright pink.

"Well, that was the fun part! Now that they're here, they talk back and go running off and never listen to a word you say!"

Naruto paused seeing the look on his wife's face. She was still pink with embarrassment but her eyes were full of sadness.

"You know I don't regret it. I'm just pissed off, that's all. I'm speaking out of rage. I just wanted to come home and rest with you at my side and now I have to go running off to drag our kid back home."

"I know."

"I'm glad we have kids and I love them both. Just sometimes, like now, they drive me nuts."

"I know."

"But, Hinata... We are stopping at two, right?"

Hinata was pink again. "Um, well... If you decide... that you..." Every now and then, Hinata would go back to being her sky, timid self.

"Never mind," said Naruto. "I'm rambling and I don't know why. I was pissed, then I saw you looking so upset and I just wanted-"

"Naruto."

"Yeah?"

Hinata pointed out the door. "Go get our son!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Naruto started sprinting.

If Hinata hadn't taken charge when she did, Naruto would have still been beside himself with rage and confusion.

Halfway to the door, Naruto made a U-turn and came running back to his wife. "I love you," he said and kissed her on the cheek.

Hinata smiled feeling much calmer.

"Don't worry! I'll bring him home safe! I promise!" Naruto slammed the door shut as he left.

Hinata grew tense again. She stood in the kitchen and prayed her son would be safe. Boruto had a full day's head start and his father was just now coming for him. Boruto still had the assignment on his person whereas Naruto had to go from memory. He had seen the mission when Boruto insisted upon it for his next assignment but there was no telling if Naruto had it memorized. Hinata was starting to worry Naruto had no idea where he was going. Him being in a foul mood could also effect his judgment, but being a worried parent might allow Naruto to find his son despite the many obstacles.

"Boruto, please be safe. Please be safe until your father gets there."

Outside Naruto sprinted out the main gate and into the woods as fast as he could. No one could stop him.

"I'm gonna kill that kid!"

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

Seeing his chance, Boruto pounced. Just as he was approaching the porch, the man turned and spotted him. There was no time to stop. Boruto kept going and jumped on the man from the front.

"Hey!" the man shouted and stumbled back into the wall.

Boruto raised his kunai and stabbed the man's shoulder. The man cried out and threw Boruto off. Boruto rolled to his feet and called for help from his Shadow Clones. Summoning two, the three of them attacked the man together.

To their surprise, the man pulled out a blade and attacked them back. He sliced through one clone but the other avoided the attack and grabbed the man's arm so the real Boruto could attack without being in danger.

"I knew this would be easy with my clones to help me." Boruto dashed forward but was grabbed from behind and forced onto the ground. He yelped as his chin hit the floor.

His clone tried to help but a third man appeared and attacked from behind. The clone vanished and standing in his place was the man Boruto had seen at the gate.

Boruto struggled but the person holding him from behind wouldn't let him up. With his arms pinned behind his back, he couldn't perform hand signs to make more clones. He was trapped.

Then Boruto was hauled to his feet and the two other men grabbed him from the front. Boruto kicked and squirmed but there was nothing he could do. His hands and feet were tied with ropes and he was dragged inside the building.

Now Boruto was starting to grow frightened. He had no one with him and without back-up he couldn't expect to be rescued. His mind was racing, wondering what these men were going to do to him. Were they going to kill him? Would they lock him in a closest while they robbed the place? Boruto had to think of a way out of this fast but he couldn't come up with anything.

He was dragged down the hall and thrown to the ground. Boruto fell on his face in a large room. A lamp was lit and there was a fourth man sitting under it. This man was different from the other three. This one was dressed in expensive clothing and wore many rings on his fingers. His expensive clothing also happened to be evening wear. If this man was dressed for bed, then this must have been his home. Which meant this person was the noble.

The noble looked him over and then looked at the three men with outrage and confusion. "He's just a boy!"

"We caught him seeking around outside the place," said one of the men. "He also attacked first."

"Look what he did to my shoulder!"

The noble looked at him. "This child?"

"This so-called child has weapons. The dirty little thief."

Boruto rolled onto his shoulder to yell at the man behind him. "I'm not a thief!"

"Then why were you sneaking around outside with a knife in the middle of the night?"

"I was protecting this noble guy from you guys! You're the thieves!"

"What?!"

"How dare you!"

"What a little punk, you are!"

The noble stopped them. "Boy, these men are no thieves. They're my bodyguards."

Boruto turned back to the noble. "What? Then why are they dressed in regular clothes? Don't guards have armor and stand in one place all night?"

"They're undercover to fool unsuspecting assassins or bandits into thinking they're regular people in town and would therefore not bother with them. I have these guards do that sort of thing all the time."

Boruto was beside himself. Such a thing never occurred to him. "I guess that explains a few things..."

"And you say you're not a thief?" said the noble. "But you attacked them thinking they were thieves... Just who are you and why would you think that?"

"Because I got called here for a mission. I'm a ninja from the Hidden Leaf."

"Called here for a mission?" The noble looked confused. "What sort of mission?"

"It's in my bag. Untie me and I'll prove it. I'll show it to you."

At the noble's order, the men untied Boruto and returned his bag which they found outside. Boruto took out the map and the assignment and showed it to the noble.

"See? You called the Leaf Village asking for help with some thieves. That's why I came here."

The noble took the assignment paper from him. "I never contacted the Leaf for help. This is the first I'm hearing of it."

"You had to. It's all right there."

The noble read the paper over, shaking his head. "I never called for help from the Leaf. We have no issue here." He paused. "Oh. I think I see the problem."

"What?"

"You're in the wrong town."

Boruto's heart dropped. "What?!" He looked around for the map. "But... But I followed the map and everything. See? Look." Boruto pointed to the trail on the map with his finger and traced the line all the way to where he was now.

The noble shook his head. "That's not right. Look here." He pointed. "These two paths branch off in different directions but the paths are almost identical to each other. You must have taken this one instead of this one. See here? This is where we are, but according to this paper your mission is supposed to take you here."

The noble's finger moved from this town to another one miles away. Tracing the paths to get to this one allowed Boruto to see his mistake.

When he was running from the boar, he got turned around in the woods. The woods were dense and had numerous paths and trails through the trees. Boruto had taken a different path by mistake, thinking it was the one he had been following.

"Ugh!" Boruto grabbed his head and unleashed his frustration in a combination of whines, groans and screams. "Dammit! I took the wrong one when I got turned around in the woods! God, I'm so stupid! It's that stupid boar's fault!"

"It's ok. You can fix this." The noble pointed to a path from this town to another. "If you take this road here, you can still reach your destination. It's not all that out of the way. You can still do this."

Boruto felt so defeated and so embarrassed. He couldn't believe he had made such a foolish mistake.

"Where are your teammates?" asked the noble. "Surely you didn't come alone."

Boruto nodded once. "I came by myself."

"Oh, dear. All alone. But you're so young and small."

"I am not! I've been on two other missions before this one and I've succeeded in both."

The noble didn't look impressed by this news. "You're already in the wrong place... You know, your village isn't too far away from here. I advise you to go home and continue this mission with other people."

Go home in defeat and admit that he couldn't do what he set out to do?

"No way," Boruto refused. "I'm not going home. I can't. Not now, when I'm so close. I'm closer to the town than I am to home anyway. There's no point in going back now. It would be a waste of time."

"But your mission sounds dangerous and you're by yourself. What if you get into trouble and need saving? If my men could stop you, what would these thieves be like?"

"I don't care," said Boruto. "I can't turn back now. There's no way I'm giving up. Besides, doing it alone would really impress my dad. He didn't want me going alone because he never did when he was my age. So by doing something my dad's never done would not only impress him, but I'll also surpass him.

Doing this mission alone would best impress his father and by doing something his father had never done would surpass him. That would show him.

"Turning back now would only be admitting defeat and make me look like a weakling. There's no way I'm doing that."

Most of all, he didn't want his father to be right.

The noble could see that Boruto was stubborn. Though he didn't agree with Boruto's tenacious plan, he wasn't the boy's father. It wasn't his place to discipline Boruto or refuse to allow him to continue on his journey. Besides, Boruto was a ninja. The noble didn't know how they lived their lives which was more reason why he shouldn't interfere. All he could do was offer Boruto some advice and have him decide from there.

"Well, whatever you decide to do, you'll need some supplies." The noble ordered his guards to fetch some things for Boruto's journey. "Please take them with you. Going home or going to this mission. Either way, you'll be prepared."

Boruto smiled at the man. "Thanks. Thanks so much."

"It is late. Perhaps you should rest here before continuing on your way."

The offer was tempting but Boruto had to refuse. "Sorry, but I've wasted too much time as it is. I'd better get going. The people who sent for help are still expecting a ninja to show up to help them."

"If that's what you wish."

So Boruto took the supplies the noble offered him and got ready to leave again. This time, to make sure he didn't run out of anything before he got there, Boruto stuffed his bag full of food and water. So much so that his bag threatened to burst. He put the bag on his back and his knees bent under the weight. His bag was much heavier now but he was confident that this was the better way to go. He couldn't pack too light and risk running out of supplies.

Boruto thanked the noble again and apologized to the guard he stabbed. He cut Boruto some slack after hearing his side of the story and told him there were no hard feelings. It just showed that Boruto took his job seriously and would do anything to help someone in need. He couldn't stay mad at Boruto over that. He understood where he was coming from, having a similar job as a guard.

"Thanks for understanding. See you!"

* * *

Naruto ran far into the woods, ranting to himself all the while. He was still fuming.

"You know you left the village without warning anyone that you would be gone, right?" said a voice from within.

"I know that!" snapped Naruto. "I'm just so pissed off, don't expect me to think."

"I never expect that."

"I'm not in the mood, Kurama."

"I'm not saying, I'm just saying."

Naruto couldn't help but get worked up. When he did, he didn't always think rationally. He knew he probably shouldn't have left the village unattended, but he was so fixed on finding his only son that he couldn't think of anything else.

He had to find Boruto. The Leaf Village would be fine. It was Boruto that had him worried.

* * *

Boruto hadn't been walking long when he started to get a terrible pain in his shoulders and back. He had to keep stopping because his bag was too heavy. He tried to make up for lost time by running but the bag was weighing him down too much. Maybe it was a mistake to pack so much. He didn't think it would be this much of a bother. He thought he could handle it.

He stopped once more and decided to lighten his load a bit. He took out some food and ate under a tree. Once full, he started walking again. His bag didn't feel much lighter, but now he had a different pain. His stomach was hurting.

"Crap, I ate too much. And now with this bag pulling me down, it's making me hurt more." Boruto didn't want to give anything up for fear he could need it. He had to suck it up and keep going.

After a while, he came to another village but this was just a stop along the way. This wasn't the place he wanted to get to. He decided to move quickly and pass through the village. There was no sense in stopping now.

He heard growling. It wasn't his stomach.

Boruto turned around and saw a dog staring at him. Another dog was with him, sniffing at his bag. "Shoo! Shoo!"

He was carrying too much food. The dogs could smell it. These weren't wild dogs. They were someone's pets so it wasn't like Boruto could attack them. Outrunning them was his best bet. After ordering them to leave, Boruto started walking away, but the dogs followed him. He started jogging. The dogs picked up the pace and now another dog had joined them. Then another.

"You have got to be kidding!" Boruto started running.

The dogs chased him down the street like wolves on the hunt. Boruto wasn't as fast as a dog so they caught up to him pretty quick. Boruto was just out of reach but now he was starting to slow down from the pain in his stomach. He couldn't let them catch him. Boruto pushed through the pain and ran as fast as he could.

His bag was too heavy. It was slowing him down. He couldn't outrun them if this kept up. Boruto unzipped part of his bag and let the contents fall out as he ran. The dogs stopped chasing him, favoring the food he dropped rather than the chase. Once they were distracted, Boruto zipped his bag shut and ran into the woods.

His bag was much lighter now but he had less food for his journey.

"I guess the noble can reward me with some food when I help him out. The one I met before was pretty nice."

He wandered deep into the woods, the pain in his stomach slowly subsiding.

Soon, Boruto found his path blocked by a swamp. He couldn't tell where the swamp ended and didn't want to risk losing his way by going around. It would just waste even more of his time. He had to get across it somehow but he couldn't expect to find a boat or anything to help him.

He looked around and found something useful. He could swing across this swamp with the tree branches. There were plenty around and a lot of the trees were bent, making it easier for him to swing across.

Boruto climbed onto one of the bent trees and walked out as far as he could until he reached the tree's end. He jumped, grabbing onto a low hanging branch and started to swing himself across. One hand past the other, Boruto used the branches like monkey-bars and crossed the swamp.

As he moved, he heard some of the branches creak and snap but none of them broke under his weight. He swung himself to a branch, but as soon as he grabbed it, it broke from the tree. Boruto let go and watched it fall into the water below.

"Good thing I didn't let go of this one otherwise I would have fallen." Boruto had thought about swimming across this swamp. Unlike the river which was too dangerous to swim across, this swamp was a lot smaller and the waters were calm. What stopped him was the fact that he didn't know how deep it was or what could have been lurking just below.

HISS!

Boruto's eyes widened and he looked down. The tiny branch had fallen into the water, but that caught the attention of something else. Something alive and moving slowly to investigate.

This long scaly log drifted over to where the branch had fallen and ducked under water for a moment then rose up again, blinking.

Boruto's grip tightened on the branch above his head. That was no log.

He gulped and looked back the way he came over his arm. He was more than halfway across so he might as well keep going.

Taking a deep breath, Boruto swung to the next branch. He moved slowly and carefully to not draw attention to himself.

His hands were starting to hurt. He couldn't keep this up for much longer. He had to get to the other side before his hands slipped from these mossy branches.

That's when it happened. Almost to the other side, his hand started to slip and he quickly swung to the nearest branch with snapped off in his hands and Boruto fell into the water.

Panicked, Boruto surfaced as quickly as he could and paddled to the other side. He couldn't touch the bottom of the swamp which made him dread how many more creatures were hiding below. Water up to his chin and backpack dragging him down, Boruto swam as fast as he could to the other side.

HISS!

"Ahh! Ahh!" Boruto felt something grab him from behind and pull him back. "Ahh! No! No!"

Soon Boruto found himself under water. He surfaced briefly and went under again. "Sh- Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Two clones appeared above him and reached for his hands. One grabbed onto the other while the other one held onto the tree growing nearby. They formed a short chain, leaning over the water where Boruto was just out of reach.

Realizing the gator had hold of his bag, Boruto quickly shed it and swam to his clones. By this time another gator showed up and went after the boy frantically swimming to safety.

Gasping and panting, Boruto stretched as far as he could and grabbed his clone's hand. They pulled him out of the water and onto moist land. Boruto ran and hid behind the tree and watched the gator rise out of the swamp, hiss at him and shrunk back into the water. There was more hissing and chomping and splashing. Boruto counted five gators in total, several of whom were ripping his bag to shreds.

His clones disappeared and Boruto walked out of the swamp and further into the woods. Soaking wet, he sat down under a tree and looked up at the branches overhead.

His hands were still shaking. Boruto clenched them into fists, telling himself he shouldn't have been so scared. He made it out alive and nothing happened to him. So what if he lost his bag? He didn't get a single scratch. Those gators were no match for him. They weren't scary at all.

Even so, his heart was still racing. His mind wouldn't calm, showing him visions of himself being eaten alive and no one would ever know what happened to him. That was a scary thought.

Boruto tried to shake that thought from his mind and tried to think of something else.

He was so exhausted. He hadn't slept all night and he just made it out of that ordeal with his life. Now he was too worked up to sleep but his body didn't want to move. Boruto curled into a ball with his head on his knees and waited for the sun to rise.

* * *

Not so easy, is it, Boruto?

Please review! ^-^


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:**

It was a beautiful morning. Birds were singing and the sky was a lovely as a painting. The bright sun made everything it shone upon look new.

Boruto raised his head and looked around. Such a beautiful morning and yet Boruto didn't feel cheerful. He had no money, no supplies, no bag and on top of all that, he had wasted all this time going to the wrong town. Without his bag, he was lacking so many essentials. His map was in that bag and now it was probably in the gator's stomach.

"No problem," Boruto told himself. "I know which way to go. I studied the map and even that noble guy showed me the path I should take. I'm heading in the right direction. All I have to do is keep going forward and I'll get there. Once I do, I can get a new map. This is nothing. A real ninja never gives up, no matter what's in his way. This is nothing I can't handle."

After giving himself a little pep-talk, Boruto stretched and stood up, ready to continue on his way.

It was another long walk and the forest was thick and difficult to travel in. Boruto wished he had traveled on an actual road, but cutting through the forest was the fastest way to get where he needed to go.

This forest was huge! There were a variety of animals but most of them wanted little to do with him. Boruto wandered deeper into the forest, entertaining himself along the way with games and practicing his Jutsu. He climbed trees and jumped from one rock to the next. He tried to catch butterflies with his bare hands and used the trees as target practice.

By late afternoon, Boruto was very hungry but there was nothing he could do about it. He had nothing on him, not even water. He came to a small pond and drank, hoping filling his stomach with water would help his hunger subside. It did little to help but at least he wasn't thirsty. He wished he had his water bottle from the noble with him so he could fill it with the clean water. Too bad that also was in the gator's stomach. Even if it wasn't eaten, it was most likely at the bottom of the swamp which Boruto was not going to bother fishing out. The swamp could have it. There was no way he was going back there, even in daylight. He didn't see a point. The bottle would be dirty anyway. He didn't want the swampy aftertaste.

Boruto spotted some berries growing on a bush nearby but didn't pick them for fear they were poisonous. He wished he knew more about the things around him in the forest. Boruto blamed it on his father. If only he spent more time with him and taught him things, maybe he would know more than he did. Of course, he never asked him to teach him that anyway. He only asked to help with his training and when he did it was almost always a clone.

"Stupid moron," Boruto grumbled. "Why didn't he tell me which things were good to eat and what weren't? It's his fault."

Boruto sighed and wandered further into the forest.

Though, now that he thought about it, his mother was a ninja, too. He could have asked her. He wondered why he didn't. Maybe because she was always there so he never thought of it. If she was always there, he could ask her anytime. It was his father who was always working and away from the house. Even when he was in the village, he seemed so far away. He wanted his father to teach him. A boy should learn from his father.

Boruto started to think about his mother and wondered how she was doing. He wondered if she noticed he was gone. Was she worried? He didn't mean to make her worry. Maybe she would be proud when he returned home and reward him for completing his first real mission. Boruto didn't think the first two counted being D-rank missions. This was a real mission and he was doing it all by himself. She should throw him a party when he got home. She would be so proud of him.

He knew she would notice him, but his father was trickier. He hoped his father would finally notice him and treat him like an equal. Maybe even go on missions together.

Did his father even notice he was missing? Did he realize he was gone?

"Dad's so busy with work he probably didn't even notice."

What would it take to get some attention? Was the village really that important? Did his father care more about other people than he did his family? Was that it?

Boruto marched between the trees at a brisk pace. "I'll show him. He'll see."

Wandering onto a wide path, Boruto spotted a small shack used as a rest stop. He went over and asked the woman working if he could have something to eat and drink. The woman would not give him anything for free. Seeing how desperate Boruto was, she took pity on him and agreed to a trade. If Boruto worked odd jobs for the day, she would give him something to eat and drink. Boruto didn't want to work for his meal but agreed anyway.

The woman handed him a broom and told him to get to work. Boruto swept up the porch and the entry way. He dusted shelves and washed the floor. Boruto wasn't used to doing this sort of work. His mother always did the household chores. He never had to sweep before. Part of him wasn't sure he was doing it right. He couldn't get all the dust and dirt from the wooden floor.

Soon Boruto's shoulders grew sore and his back started hurting. It was a small shack but all the work he had done took two hours.

He didn't have time for this. This wasn't what ninja did anyway. It wasn't their job to clean. He set the mop against the wall and asked the woman for his payment. The woman handed him a bottle of water. When Boruto complained that he was also owed a meal, she refused, saying he hadn't worked long enough for a meal. Boruto explained that he was a ninja on his way to an important mission and didn't have time to work any longer, but she would not listen.

Rather than make a scene, Boruto took the water and left.

He was sweaty and shaky. He needed something to drink. Boruto was so thirsty, he drank almost the entire bottle in one sitting. He only had a couple mouthfuls left in the bottle.

He wandered into the forest, praying that the noble's place was coming up soon. He drank a little more of the water, finishing the bottle.

The ground was getting very uneven and there were a lot more rocks in this area. Boruto tripped, dropping his bottle down a deep, narrow crevice. There was no way he could get that back down. He hadn't seen any streams around to fill it either so it was a moot point.

Weak from hunger, the manual labor and from the his journey, Boruto was stumbling a lot more. He sat on one of the rocks to rest but a swarm of bugs swirled around his head, getting in his eyes and nose. Unable to stand it any longer, Boruto got up and walked off. The bugs did not follow.

Several hours passed and soon Boruto noticed it had become very dark. He looked up at the sky and realized it was night. The ground had evened out a little as well. His stomach growled loudly but he couldn't do anything about it. He ignored it and kept walking.

The ground was very uneven and judging from how his feet were sticking to the soil, he had wandered into a marsh. The ground was like quicksand. He climbed onto a fallen tree and walked to a large rock and onto another one. All these fallen trees and rocks helped form a path for him to take. Avoiding the soft soil, Boruto took the trees and rocks to the other side and found a natural path leading towards a large mountain.

The path snaked around the trees and around this way and that. The forest had grown less thick and it was much easier to get around. The soil here was more firm and he no longer had to worry about getting stuck. Boruto hoped this meant he was close to civilization. More than that, his destination.

His stomach growled again. "For crying out loud, shut up." Boruto tried to muffle his stomach with his hands. "Once we get there, we can eat. That noble or royal or whatever he is is bound to have food. He'll feed us so just hang tight." He wasn't just talking to his stomach, but to himself. He had to reassure himself that he was going to be alright.

Maybe it was wishful thinking or his imagination. Maybe he was so hungry his mind was playing tricks on him, but he could have sworn he smelled food.

Boruto followed the smell to a clearing in the forest and found something that made him look twice.

It was a lavish banquet. A rich, savory aroma filled Boruto's nostrils from the platters overflowing with food. Boruto had never seen so much food on one table. Such delicacies! A roasted duck with crisp amber skin, golden soup, sandwiches, plump dumplings, vegetables shining in oil, crispy and brown fried fish, shrimp in milk sauce, deep red pork slices shining as if lacquered, rice piled so high it looked like a snowy mountain and shimmering noodles so long they seemed endless. That wasn't all. There were cookies and cakes and pies, too. There was a tiered cake so tall, Boruto could swear it was bigger than him. The abundance was overwhelming.

Such an amazing sight made Boruto wonder if he was dreaming. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes, convinced his mind was playing tricks on him. There was no way all of this could be real. Not in the middle of the forest. But no matter how many times he pinched himself or rubbed his eyes, the food would not go away.

He looked around to see if there was someone lurking nearby who planted this here as a prank. There were lanterns glowing red, green and yellow hanging from the trees with a sign reading: Welcome! Help yourself!

Boruto thought this was too good to be true. Maybe it was poisoned. There was no way this was real. Something seemed off.

Then he saw another sign that read: Town picnic party! Wonderful festival!

"A party? Festival?" Baruto frowned. "Should have settled on a title or something. I guess party and festival are the same thing but..."

His stomach growled again.

"Oh..!" It was getting harder to resist. He was so hungry. Maybe just a taste. It couldn't do any harm, right? There was so much food here, it was unlikely for him to get into any trouble for eating it. The sign said he was welcomed to it.

Boruto approached the table and looked at all the food. He could see the steam wafting off the hot plates and into the cool night air. If this was poisoned, whoever was responsible certainly wasted a lot of good food by doing this. If someone was going to poison food, they should have done it in smaller amounts and wouldn't do it to such an expensive spread.

He was still very hesitant. Something just didn't seem right. A banquet in the forest in the middle of the night? Thinking something was wrong with the food, Boruto started to walk away.

"Oh, have you started without us?"

"Huh?" Boruto turned around and saw a woman at the head of the table.

"The food," she said. "Is it good? Have you tried it?"

Boruto looked over his shoulder and back at the woman. "Uh..."

She took a grape off the table and ate it. "Mm! Nice and juicy! This was from a great harvest, I can tell."

Boruto wandered back to the table. If the woman was eating it, then it couldn't have been poisonous. She took a drumstick from the duck and took a big bite out of it. She let out a moan of delight and took another bite. More people started to show up from the trees and started to partake of the meal.

"So it's ok?" Boruto looked at the table. Unable to stand his hunger anymore, he stood beside the table and grabbed the other drumstick. He took a big bite and tasted the succulent roasted duck. "Mm!"

The people ate and laughed, turning to each other with shared expressions of enjoyment. Boruto grabbed whatever he could and ate. It all tasted so good! There was no pattern to his eating. He ate everything at once, shoving meat and noodles into his mouth at the same time then chasing it with a strawberry cupcake and a dumpling. He drank and ate, ignoring the people standing around him.

He ate so fast, he was worried he would get another stomachache. Strangely enough, he didn't.

In fact, no matter how much he ate, he still felt hungry.

And no matter how much he ate, the quantity of food never dwindled. This was perplexing. Boruto grabbed a loaf of bread from the table and dunked it in a bowl of soup. The bread soaked up the soup and yet the bowl remained full. He took thick slices of cake but the cake never seemed any smaller. It was strange. His knife cuts were still there but the cake didn't seem smaller at all, no matter how many slices he took. He drank plenty of water and yet there was still plenty there. So much food still remained despite how much was eaten.

The food would not satisfy his empty stomach. Boruto was still hungry after eating his weight in food.

Boruto stopped eating and backed away from the table. "What's going on?"

He looked around at the people eating and laughing together. It was like watching a perpetual loop. They ate and laughed then ate and laughed and ate and laughed. Boruto looked back at the table. There was still so much to eat despite so many people eating from it. He looked up and realized that the people had vanished. Though they were gone from his sight, he could still hear them laughing. It was haunting. Maddening.

Boruto picked up plates from the table. He could feel them in his hands but none of this seemed real. He could taste the food but he was still so hungry. It was as if he had eaten nothing.

Nothing changed no matter how much he ate.

"What's going on? What is this?"

The lanterns dimmed and vanished all together. Boruto was in total darkness with the table of food that wouldn't satisfy. And that laughter. He could still hear it. He could hear them laughing but couldn't see them. Where were they? What was going on? Why were they still laughing? Where had they gone? Was this a haunted forest?

* * *

Naruto stopped to catch his breath. He had been running for so long and he wasn't used to it after spending most of his time behind a desk.

"I told him no and he does it anyway. The little brat. Would it kill him to listen for once?"

"Not listening is what's going to get him killed," said the Nine-Tailed Fox.

"Well, duh!" Naruto looked into the forest, thinking only of his son. "Why? Why would he do this? Can't he just listen to me and do what he's told?"

"As I recall, you were the same way. Begging for missions and whatnot."

"I know that, Kurama. You don't have to remind me of what I already know. But why would he just go running off like that? Even I never did that when I was a kid."

"Isn't it obvious?" said the fox. "He wants to get your attention. Far be it from me to criticize your parenting style, but he probably feels neglected since you're never around."

"I know he wants me around a lot more than I am, but I can't be with him every second of the day. I have a job to do and he knows that."

"Does he really understand that?"

Naruto paused. "I... don't know if he does. I'm not sure what he's thinking. Even when I am with him, he's in a bitter mood and runs off. I can't win. When I'm not there all he wants is my attention and when I'm with him he runs off and hides from me. I don't get that kid."

"He is just a kid. I doubt he knows himself. Kids are full of emotion and they can't sort it out themselves."

Naruto sighed. "Yeah. I guess you're right. He's at that age. He's still just a kid but he's becoming a teenager and they're considered young adults but they're still kids. It is confusing."

Naruto couldn't figure his son out anymore than his son could figure himself out. Did Boruto even know what he wanted? Naruto wasn't sure.

"I try to spend time with him," said Naruto. "I really do, but I can't be with him all the time and he has to get that. I know how important it is to be with your father."

"How would you know if you were never with yours?"

"That's exactly how I do know." Naruto smiled fondly at the thought of being with a nuclear family. Since he didn't have one, he had to search elsewhere so he had some sort of model. His Sensei became a father figure to him and Sasuke became a brother figure for him. He could pretend to know what it was like to have a family. Boruto actually had a family. The only issue was though he had a father, he rarely got to spend time with him. Naruto tried, but it wasn't enough to satisfy his son.

He taught him how to use Shadow Clones, he even trained with him when he had the time. When he didn't, he sent a clone in his place. A clone was good enough, wasn't it? Now that he thought about it, a clone really wasn't the same. It was still a replacement. As much as Boruto wanted the real thing, Naruto couldn't abandon his duties as the Hokage just to spend time with his son.

"Why don't you just leave a clone in your chair and the real you can go play with your kids?"

Naruto rolled his eyes. Clearly the fox could read his mind.

"I tried that," Naruto admitted. "Shikamaru popped my clone and went looking for me, saying if he had to work, so did I. If one of us was going to be lazy, it was going to be him. Apparently he didn't like the idea of me using a clone to take my place while he actually worked. Didn't think it was fair." He sighed. "Just as well. Boruto still wasn't satisfied because it wasn't my undivided attention. Apparently, he wants me to choose him over the village. No compromises, no replacement, no clones. Just me and him. But I can't do that."

"Your kid's a brat. You've admitted that. So why bother if the kid can't be pleased? If he can't be satisfied, then don't even try."

Naruto chuckled. "Because I love him. He's my kid and I love him. You think I would be out here looking for him if I didn't?"

He really did. He loved his son. He understood him.

"But I love the village, too. I can't forsake one for the other. If I don't take care of the village, my son won't have a safe place to live and grow. I have to make sure the village is run right so I don't have to worry. He has to understand that. And it's not just for his sake. It's for everyone. My friends have children, too, now. I have to watch over them as well. Taking care of he village is taking care of them. Even Boruto."

"Is it really such a bad thing? You turned out ok and you weren't the Hokage when you were a child. The whole world won't fall apart if you're not there, you know. Why is it so important that you run the village?"

"It's not just my dream," said Naruto. "It's because there are certain things I want the next generation to know and understand. And... Unlike with ninja of the past, I don't want my kids growing up thinking that they are just tools to be used. That they are people with feelings are hearts. They can think and feel and act on their own. I want them to know that everyone has a life and that everyone matters. They're not just tools. They're people. I swore I would change that when I became the Hokage and I did. I want them to know they matter and to think more highly of themselves."

"So you want them to be arrogant?"

"No, Kurama. I want them to have a better life." Naruto looked down. "I will never forget the people I met along my way to becoming a great ninja. The people who are gone and those who are still here... They're all important to me and they all taught me something special. Most of all, I never break my promises. So when I say I'm going to do something, I'll do my best to do it. No matter what."

The Nine-Tailed Fox scoffed inside Naruto. "I don't need a long explanation. I lived through it, too, you know. That's the problem being attached to someone like this. Since I'm sealed within you, I experience what you experience."

"You might witness it but you didn't experience it." Naruto looked back to the forest and the long road ahead of him. "Forget it. We're wasting time. I have to find my son."

"You started it."

"Hm." Naruto wasn't listening anymore. "I have reasons for doing the things I do. It might not always make sense to the people watching me, but I know what I'm doing."

He turned back to the road and sprinted down the path. He promised his wife he would bring their son back and he intended to make good on that promise.

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6:**

Boruto backed away frantically from the table but the forest had closed in around him. He felt trapped. He was trapped. He couldn't understand what was happening.

The laughter continued, echoing around him. It surrounded him like an evil whirlwind.

The food remained on the table, taunting him.

The laughter continued. That horrible laughter. It seemed to be getting louder.

"Stop it!" Boruto screamed. "Stop it!"

The laughter wouldn't stop and there was plenty more food to be had.

"Stop it! Leave me alone!" Boruto looked back at the table which had grown twice its size with even more food. "Stop it! Stop tormenting me! Leave me alone!"

He tried to leave the forest but the trees had grown so thick they were impossible to squeeze between. Boruto was scared and confused. He didn't know what was happening. Maybe this was Genjutsu.

"Release!"

The table remained. The laughter remained.

"Release!"

The trees wouldn't move aside and he could still smell the feast.

"Release! Release! Release!" No matter what he did, none of this would go away. This wasn't Genjutsu. "But if this isn't Genjutsu, then what is it?" Boruto kept trying to dispel it but no matter what he tried it wouldn't go away.

It was an unending nightmare.

He was hungry, he was alone, he was scared, he was confused. He didn't know what to do.

The laughter grew louder.

"Stop it!" Boruto cried. "Leave me alone!" He didn't know what it was, but he wanted it to stop. Whoever or whatever was doing this, he wanted them to stop. "Leave me alone! Go away and leave me alone!"

The voices were still laughing. The laughter was loud and unending.

"Leave me alone! Leave me alone!" He didn't know what to do. "Please! Stop it! Just stop it and leave me alone!" Boruto was so worked up he was almost in tears.

"Enough!"

All at once, the laughter stopped.

The table and all its food vanished and the trees around Boruto thinned to what it was before.

Boruto panted and put a hand to his racing heart. He was shaking.

He could hear voices but couldn't make them out. He could only hear a little of what they were saying. One voice was louder than the others and seemed to be scolding the other voices. The next thing Boruto heard were running footsteps and leaves rustling. Whoever was tormenting him was gone now.

"Are you alright?" asked a voice. It was the same voice he heard just before the laughter ended.

Boruto decided to answer it. "Y- yeah. I'm alright."

"You shouldn't be here," said the voice. "They cast an illusion around you because you're an intruder. But don't be too hard on them. They're still young. They're learning slowly. But no matter what, they must abide by our rules. Don't worry. I scolded them and chased them off. They won't bother you again."

"Yeah, thanks..." Boruto felt dazed. Everything was happening so fast. He didn't fully understand what this person meant by casting an illusion. Was this some sort of advanced Genjutsu he couldn't break? Boruto didn't understand.

"Who are you?" asked the voice. "Locals know better than to be in the forest, especially after dark. You must not be from around here. Especially if you're coming from that side."

"That side?"

"The town is to your left. You came from your right. That is the opposite direction. Which means you are an outsider. Which also means they had every right to defend themselves."

"Defend themselves?" said Boruto. "Why? I'm not here to hurt anyone. I'm just wandering through, trying to reach the town."

"I see. That explains it. They must have thought you were a threat. Only thieves and bad people would come from that direction because town is the other way. That must have been their logic. Either that or they just saw you in the forest after dark and decided to mess with you. If that's the case, then I'll give them more of an earful later."

Boruto was still confused. He tried to calm himself and understand what this person was telling him. Very little of it made any sense. Maybe it was because Boruto was still shaken up or perhaps it was on account of his empty stomach.

"If you are an outsider, why are you trying to reach the town?"

"Oh. Um... I got a mission telling me to come to town to prevent thieves from coming."

"Thieves? I see. So the king called you to come, is that it? I understand. He deals with issues in town and we deal with things in the forest and in the mountain. I'm surprised not to hear of it, but I never speak to the king."

"So there is a king here in this town." Boruto was feeling pretty pleased with himself. "Then this must be the right place. I finally got here."

"It is still suspicious to me. The king should have mentioned something. I don't know why he would send for help when we're here to help defend this land. Things have been so peaceful lately."

Boruto had a feeling this person didn't believe him. Maybe he thought Boruto was lying. Without anyone to back up his story, Boruto had to convince this person on his own that he was who he claimed.

"I have the mission written down. You can take a look if you want."

There was hesitation.

"It's alright. I don't think a young child would be a terrible threat to the king or this land. Not one alone, at least. I do not think you are here to cause trouble."

Boruto wasn't sure whether to be insulted or not.

Boruto was starting to feel a little uncomfortable talking with this person who kept himself hidden. Not once in all this time did the man show himself.

"Why don't you come out where I can see you?" asked Boruto.

The person hesitated again before answering.

"I... No. Thank you."

"Please come out."

"I'd rather not."

Boruto was starting to suspect this person might be a threat. Why else would they remain hidden if they didn't have something to hide?

"Why don't you want me to look at you?" he asked. "Why don't you want to come out?"

The leaves rustled above as the person moved to a different branch.

"Because," said the voice hesitantly. "Because... I am afraid of humans."

Humans? Then the person Boruto was talking to wasn't a person at all.

"You're... not human?"

"No, I'm not." More leaves rustled and fell from the branches with the creature's movement. "Your kind scares me. Ever since the day I watched a human butcher my older brother."

A human killed his brother? No wonder he was afraid to show himself. He must have thought Boruto would do the same. No amount of convincing would tell him otherwise. Now that he had seen a human do such a thing, fear would always be there.

"Can you at least tell me your name?" asked Boruto.

There was a shorter pause this time. "Reki," said the voice. "My name is Reki."

He smiled. "I'm Boruto. It's nice to meet you."

It wasn't a proper meeting since Reki kept himself hidden. Boruto knew where he was from the rustling leaves. He had a rough idea where Reki was standing. He was tempted to throw a kunai into the branches to flush him out but he was afraid taking out a weapon would convince Reki that he was indeed a threat. Boruto needed Reki to trust him.

"Tell me more about this mission of yours."

"I was told to come to a town with a royal or a noble or something and protect them from thieves. I traveled a long way to get here. Since you told me there's a king in this town, I'm sure this is the place."

"Why would the king send for you?" asked Reki.

"Because I'm a ninja and it's our job to help people in need." Boruto gestured to his headband. He had only recently received it so it was still clean and had a shine to it. The fabric was thick so tying it in a knot put up slight resistance. It wasn't like other headbands which had become thin and soft and easy to tie from wear and tear. "See? I have a headband to prove it. Only ninja are allowed to have these."

"I've seen that symbol before," said Reki. "It's been years, but I've seen it. The mark of the Leaf Village."

"You know about the Leaf Village?" Boruto was excited, thinking he came from a very famous ninja village. Even people out this far from home knew about them and their good work. This made him even more eager to do his village proud and perform to the best of his abilities.

"Yes, yes," said Reki. "I know of the Leaf Village. I've met a ninja from that village many years ago. He's a good friend to us. He wore a headband with that same symbol. His name was Naruto."

Hearing that name stung him.

Part of him felt pride, but another part felt resentment. His father had come to this place, too? Did he have a mission here as well?

"Do you know him? Perhaps you've heard of Naruto."

"... He's my dad."

"Oh! Oh, how wonderful. Then you are his pup! I heard he had children. You must be so proud."

Boruto clenched his fists.

He had so much to live up to. Completing this mission to impress his father was one thing, but to find out he was in a place his father had visited many years ago and already had a legacy here was another thing entirely. The people in this town knew Naruto. This meant Boruto was going to be compared to his father. Anything he did on this mission would be compared to his father and how he did things. He wouldn't be judged by his skills but by the skills of his father. He was chasing his shadow! It wasn't fair!

He thought he would have something that was all his. This town would praise him and his good work. They would go to his father and say how he should be proud of his son. Now it was the other way around! He would be told what a great ninja his father was and how he should be proud of him. He didn't want to be compared. He wanted his own legacy.

If he was going to hear about what a good ninja his father was, he wanted him here so they could be praised side-by-side. A father-son mission didn't sound too bad. Unfortunately, he was never around to spend that kind of time with him. He was always too busy doing things in the village to go on missions. Or do anything for that matter.

"It's been years since I've seen him. I wonder how he's doing."

"Who cares?" Boruto said bitterly

"As his offspring, you should."

Boruto scoffed. "Not likely. He's a jerk anyway."

Reki chuckled softly. "I don't believe that. I admit, I was nervous around him, but he helped save me and I could see he was a good person."

Boruto folded his arms. "Good my butt! He's never around!"

"He must be busy," said Reki. "He was coming and going all the time when I last saw him. Even his friends complained that he was running off when there was work to be done, but he was helping us during that time. Later on, he had to leave us in order to help out other people."

"See?" Boruto snapped. "Some leader, he is. He cares more about other people than he does anyone else!"

Reki paused. "That doesn't make any sense."

"Y- You know what I mean!" Boruto spun around, hoping he was turning his back to Reki. "He's always doing something. He's never around when I want him and when he is, he has to go running off again. Then he leaves a clone in his place so he can still be with me but it's just a stupid replacement."

"If he is the leader like you say, he must have a lot of work to do."

"So what?! He's the leader of the village! The Hokage! He can do whatever he wants! If he doesn't want to come into work, he doesn't have to! Being the leader means you get to make the rules and do whatever you want. Since he's always away from us, I think it's clear what he wants and it's not me!"

Boruto's chest felt tight. It was getting harder to breathe. His eyes stung. Saying what he did out loud caused him to feel this way and he didn't understand why. Was it because he was confirming what he already suspected? That his father cared more about other people than he did his own son? That no matter what he did, he would never be important enough in Naruto's eyes? That everyone else mattered more to him?

Such a thought brought Boruto to the verge of tears but he wouldn't cry. He was stronger than that. Crying was for children and now that he was a ninja, it was time to be a man. He had no time for tears. Just as Naruto had no time for him.

Boruto sniffled at the thought.

"Boruto, right?" said Reki. "I don't think it's that he doesn't care or that he doesn't want you. He does."

"Then why is he never around?"

"Because he has a job to do and being leader is a huge responsibility. It doesn't mean you get to do whatever you want. There's more to it than that. You're responsible for so many people. Every decision you make has a cause and effect and consequences. It effects everyone, not just the leader."

Boruto scoffed.

"I mean it."

"What harm could it do to not sit behind a desk for a day or two? It's not like the whole village is going to fall apart because he decided to take the day off. What's the big deal?"

Reki thought about it and answered simply, "Because it isn't just you who needs him. What if danger strikes and he isn't there to defend your home?"

"He can have someone else do it. There's plenty of ninja in the village he can send to battle in his place. He doesn't have to go."

"And what kind of example would that set for the leader? That he will send others in his place to do the fighting for him? Why is he the leader if he does nothing? He must be an example. A leader must be someone the people will respect. He must also be able to do the job he was given. If he cannot, then why is he the leader? It's not about doing as you please. If he cannot lead, no one will follow and there will be chaos. There will be no order. Believe me, I know. For a long time, we had no leader either and we were a mess. No one knew what to do so many of us did whatever we thought was right and it ended up causing a whole mess of problems. I nearly got myself killed and it ended up killing my brother. We needed someone to take charge and lead us. Without someone to do that, there's no order and everyone does things on a whim."

"So the leader makes the rules and you follow them?" Boruto frowned. "Can't you just tell what's right and wrong for yourselves? Why do you need someone else to tell you that?"

"Because even if we know right from wrong, we can still take action, thinking we're doing the right thing. Have you ever heard the saying 'good intention, bad execution', Boruto? A leader must also be wise. We follow his command because he can see the results of the actions we take. Besides, before we had a leader, there was a lot of arguing because no one could decide what was the best thing to do. We can still debate now, but it's the leader who has the final say. Once it's been decided, no one will take action against his ruling. That's how it goes and it's safer this way. No one takes things upon themselves and so far no one has gotten killed. We may work together, but we still need someone to lead us. I'm sure it works the same way with Naruto."

But again, why can't he just take a day off or something? If there's danger, I guess he can go fight, but it's paperwork and meetings all the time. Why can't he just have someone else do it? And why can't he refuse to do something when he's already spending time with his family? Why does he have to drop everything to do more work when he's finally home? Can't he tell them no or make them do it themselves? Why's it got to be him?"

"Because he's the leader. That's their job," said Reki. "It's like I said. A leader must lead by example. How would it look if he never does the work and makes someone else do it? Being leader isn't all fun and games. He must take the good with the bad. It wouldn't be fair if he made someone else do things for him. He may have helpers, but the actual work must be done by him. That's just how it is."

"But it isn't fair!" snapped Boruto. "Why the hell would he want to be the Hokage if it means all that? If it means never being home with your family? Who would want that other than a stupid, selfish jerk? He should just quit! He if really cared about us, he would quit and be home where we need him."

The leaves rustled again as Reki moved to another branch. "It's because he cares that he can't."

"But the village is peaceful! He doesn't have to do it..."

"It being peaceful is because of his good work. Don't you see, Boruto? Because he is leader, there is peace. He's doing this for you. He wants to protect you. Whether you see it or not, you need him to be the Hokage. That's where he belongs. He's doing a lot of good from that position. He's taking care of you and helping you by being the Hokage. Things could turn bad if he weren't the leader. He's keeping you safe."

Boruto folded his arms again. "But... I need him, too. If he teaches me more ninja stuff, he won't have to worry about keeping me safe because I'll be able to protect myself."

"There's more to it than that."

Boruto stomped his foot on the ground. "You just don't get it! You don't know!" Boruto started pacing in anger. "It's painful to be apart from people you care about but he acts like it's nothing. I stopped caring a long time ago. It was painful not having him around when I wanted him but I got over it. I don't care anymore. You don't know what that's like. To be helpless and be away from other people."

"I do, actually," said Reki. "A long time ago, there was an event that-"

"I don't care!" yelled Boruto. "And I haven't for a long time."

"Sounds to me like you do still care. Otherwise you wouldn't be this upset. Keeping it bottled in isn't good, you know. It doesn't make you strong."

"Shut up!" Boruto kicked a tree in anger and hopped up and down, holding his toe. "Ow! Ow! Ow!"

Reki giggled.

"Shut up!"

"You are so emotional. How familiar."

Boruto sat on the ground, still holding his foot. "You said lead by example before. But there's more to it than that. It's not like the village will stop respecting him if he dumps his work off on other people once in a while to spend time with us. They'd understand. Family is important."

"It is. Which is why I told you that he's doing what he can for you by being the leader. He's looking out for you."

"You were also talking about some other things, too."

Boruto was calming down a little. Like the throbbing in his toe, his anger was subsiding. However, he was still feeling upset and confused. He said he didn't care anymore but he actually did. Reki called his bluff on that.

He looked back at the branches. He was unable to see Reki but he knew he was there. "You said he can't make his own rules, but I think as the leader you can do whatever you want. You have the power to do it."

"It may not be the right thing," said Reki.

"Maybe... But..." Boruto frowned, imagining his father sitting at a desk all day instead of being home with them. With him. "If I'm so important... Then why isn't he ever around? It seems like it's just the village and everyone else. I still don't get why he can't make someone else help him out and do things for him. And why's he got to go running off when they need him and he just got home. It's stupid. I don't get it..."

The leaves rustled again. "Let me answer your questions with some history. I'll tell you why. Our leader was in a difficult position himself a while back. I think telling you about it will help you understand a little better."

Boruto didn't want a lecture or a history lesson, but he was a little curious so he listened.

"You see, a long time ago, this town was in a lot of trouble, but no one knew just how much. Naruto helped us out back then and he and our leader became good friends. If Naruto ever needed anything, we would be there to help him. He risked so much to help us when he barely knew us."

"That's another thing. He helps out people he doesn't even know. Even strangers mean more to him than me."

"But, Boruto, if he hadn't helped us, we would have been in bigger trouble. No one else would help us and because Naruto was the only one who did, we were saved. That's the thing. Maybe you should consider the possibility that Naruto must do the things that he does because no one else will. So much is on him because no one else can be bothered."

Boruto hadn't thought of that. There must have been a lot of work no one wanted to do and if no one did it then it would never get done. Maybe that was why his father never forced other people to do it, because they wouldn't do it either. Boruto thought Naruto could have them arrested for not following an order but he soon put that thought aside to hear Reki's story.

"A little while later, Naruto desperately needed our help. We were attacked and our leader managed to drive off the enemy but they then threatened to attack people we were friends with. They threatened to attack Naruto and his village if we did not comply with their wish."

"What did they want?" asked Boruto.

"They wanted our land. Our enemy wanted us to leave our home at once and give it to them. We couldn't do that. Not just because it's our home, but because the enemy wanted to attack the town and its people which would be easy to do if they had this land and we were unable to defend them. We're here to help protect the town and the people in it. If we're gone, they will no longer have our protection. We would also no longer have a home. All around it was bad news so of course we refused. However, when Naruto and his village was threatened, this put us in a hard position. Our leader could not leave the area because the enemy would come back and attack since we would be short on power. Our leader was the reason the enemy was driven off. If he weren't here, we wouldn't be strong enough to hold back the enemy. However, he couldn't abandon Naruto or his people. Our leader was in a difficult spot. So for the time being, he sent my other brother to Naruto's village to warn him."

"See?" said Boruto. "Your leader sent someone to do something for him. That's what I'm saying my dad could do."

"But my brother would not be able to do much on his own. He went to warn Naruto. The village was attacked and Naruto was in great trouble. He came here when the enemy attacked a second time. He helped us and we helped him. Then Naruto had to leave again to take on the foe while we stayed here. Our leader wanted to go with him to take down the enemy but he knew if he left, the town would be vulnerable and so would we. He stayed behind. He had to. But do you see the issue? Being leader is tough. He had to choose between defending this town and defending his friend and his village. It's not easy."

Boruto wanted to say the leader should only defend his own land and have the other people defend themselves. However, knowing that the other people was the Leaf Village changed things. Boruto would have wanted someone to aid them if they were in trouble. Reversing Reki's leader with Naruto, Boruto could see the reason why Naruto would do the things he did. It was important to help other people. Boruto knew that. He wanted to help people, too, but he was also selfish and wanted to be with his father at the same time.

He could see that if Reki's leader had done nothing, the Leaf would have fallen. A warning helped them out but they were still facing a terrible enemy. It would have saved the Leaf Village a lot of trouble if Reki's leader had come to their rescue, but that would have left his land vulnerable. If their roles had been reversed and Naruto had left to save them, then the Leaf would have fallen instead. If Naruto had done nothing, this land would have fallen. Changing perspective allowed Boruto to see that things were more complicated than they seemed a little while ago. It would have been wrong to sacrifice one for another. He wouldn't want his village to become a casualty anymore than Reki wanted his home to be.

Boruto couldn't say everyone else was on their own so he could have his way because he didn't want that to happen to him. It was different being on the receiving end. He understood that now. He was being so narrow-minded. Being selfish did have its consequences.

"How..." Boruto looked at the ground, ashamed of his own selfishness. "How did it end? With the enemy?"

"Naruto had the enemy cornered and we came to assist. Our leader came, too, since the town was not in immediate danger. He defeated the enemy and we went home. The town was ok. But we shouldn't leave for long. Our leader knew Naruto needed help. It was our enemy, too, so we shouldn't put it all on him. We had to come."

Though Boruto could see how being selfish had consequences, he still felt he was partly in the right. He needed his father. He wanted to spend time with him. It wasn't fair that he had to give that up in order for Naruto to do his job. It wasn't fair. Boruto felt he was being asked for too much. Even Reki's leader was able to bend the rules slightly when needed. Naruto never did that for him.

"It's still not fair."

"Again, I know. There are times I wish I could spend more time with our leader, but he's also very busy. He has to do a lot more than we think. Being leader isn't an easy job. But he's always there for us when we need him."

"I don't get it," said Boruto. "If this town already has someone in charge, like the king, then why does your leader have to do something? Can't it be the king's job?"

"They work together on many issues. I can't pretend I know what it is they do, but I know it's important."

Boruto's stomach growled loudly.

"Wait there," said Reki and the leaves rustled as he left.

Boruto sat on the ground, wondering what his next move should be. Reki gave him a lot to think about, but he still had and mission and should be focused on that.

Even so, he couldn't get his mind off what Reki had told him. About what it took to be a leader and all the hardships and unfairness. Why did he have to be the one to give something up? Why was he the one being put out? Reki's leader was able to leave the area. Boruto was still angry. If Reki's leader could send someone to deliver a message, why couldn't Naruto send someone to run errands for him?

Boruto hugged his knees to his chest. There were many things Naruto could do but didn't. Being Hokage made Naruto a neglectful father. He was never there.

Reki said it wasn't that Naruto didn't care. On the contrary, he cared a lot. He just had to do things that no one else would. He was trying to help people and keep them safe.

"It's still not fair. And if Dad really cared..." Boruto rested his chin on his knees. "... He should let me prove myself. As his son, I can be a strong ninja. Instead, he has to be a jerk and won't let me do a mission. A lot of missions are hard. He's coddling me too much. No. He's not around so he doesn't know what I can do. That's it. But I'll prove it to him. I'll show him what I can do."

Something fell from the tree and landed at Boruto's feet. It was a peach. Boruto was about to snatch it up when he thought it was another trick.

"Don't worry," came Reki's voice. "It's real. Leftover from the offerings we were given."

Boruto picked it up and examined it. It felt and looked real, but then again, so did the feast that turned out to be an illusion.

After talking with Reki for so long, Boruto came to trust his word over some fake illusion signs in the forest. Boruto brought the peach to his lips and took a bite. It was perfectly ripe and juicy.

"Thanks."

"Sure thing. I brought you the biggest one I could find."

"Thanks," Boruto said again and ate the peach eagerly. It was nice to have something in his stomach after all this time.

"An empty stomach also makes things seem worse than they really are." Reki chuckled. "Now, about your mission..."

"Yeah, I should really get back to it."

"I'll show you the way out of the forest. I'll take you to the edge of the town. From there, you're on your own."

Boruto agreed. "Ok. Let's get going."

The leaves rustled and Boruto followed the sound. He asked again for Reki to show himself but he still refused. Instead, Boruto followed the falling leaves and spoke with Reki some more as they traveled.

"So you never see your leader either?"

"No, I see him. He's just busy a lot. It's alright. I understand. We also have some young ones to take care of so it keeps all of us pretty busy. They have to abide by our rules, though. That they have to learn."

Boruto stepped over a fallen branch as he followed Reki's voice. "The leader gets to make the rules, right?"

"Yes. But our rules have been in place by leaders passed. They made the rules and we follow them. The leader helps enforce these rules. There may be new rules as well. Depending on what the king wants and what would be best for all of us."

"I know you say the leader doesn't get to do whatever he wants... But..."

"But you still want Naruto with you. I know. I miss him, too, but you are his son. It must be more painful for you."

"He's never around so he probably doesn't even know I'm gone. He didn't want me going on this mission anyway. Said it was too advanced for me. But I'm going to prove him wrong."

Reki chuckled. "I thought the same thing when I went looking for an enemy. We didn't have a leader at the time, but I was told not to go. Said I was too young and didn't understand. I wouldn't have a chance. I told them they were wrong and did it anyway to prove myself. Mostly I did it to help everyone out. I thought if I caught the enemy, it would end everything and there would be peace. I was wrong. I ended up needing to be saved and because I went off without telling anyone, no one knew where I was or what happened."

Boruto was worried about that himself since he had also run off without telling anyone. Since Reki turned out alright, it must have worked out, which meant it would work out for him.

"I had good intentions, but things didn't work out the way I had planned. Keep that in mind when you're doing things."

"Got it."

"And," added Reki, "I also want to tell you something important. Sometimes, you think you understand but you don't. Thinks aren't always black and white. Naruto understood that. Even an enemy turned out to be a good man. When no one will put trust in someone, he will. He always gives people a chance."

Boruto scoffed. "He didn't give me a chance for this mission. I went on my own because he didn't give it to me."

Reki paused. "That's not quite what I meant."

Boruto shrugged. "Doesn't matter."

Reki chuckled. "With time comes understanding."

As they moved, Boruto could see a dim light ahead. The trees were starting to thin and he could see the edge of town. "I think I see it."

"Yes, but I can't go any further," said Reki. "This is where we part ways."

"Why?"

"I'm not allowed in the town. I stay here in the mountain and forest."

Boruto didn't understand but he accepted it. "So.. I guess this is it, huh?"

"This is where I leave you," said Reki. "It was nice to meet you, Boruto."

"Are you sure you won't show me what you look like?" Boruto asked, putting his hands on his hips with a smirk.

"I'm afraid not. Though I enjoyed our time together, I'm still too afraid to show myself to a human."

"Even though we know each other now."

Reki paused. "I'm sorry. Maybe another time."

Boruto sighed. "Fine, be that way."

"You should be able to find your way from here. Good luck on your mission, Boruto. Farewell." With that, Reki turned and fled back into the forest.

Boruto listened to the rustling leaves getting softer and softer until there was no sound at all. Boruto was alone again.

* * *

Guess what Boruto just met! Remember him?

Please review! ^-^


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7:**

Boruto walked from the forest, looking back every few steps as if expecting to see the image of Reki standing there watching him, still hoping to catch a glimpse of his true form. He did this until he reached the first house, then faced forward and walked at a normal pace.

There were so many buildings, most of which looked fairly old. Others looked rather new, as if constructed only a few years prior. Some buildings had a new roof which stuck out from the older wooden walls weathered by time. It looked like a humble and peaceful town with cozy homes stacked close together. The people who lived here must have known each other well because of their close proximity. This town seemed very well off and well taken care of. Boruto imagined the people here lived good comfortable lives.

Which made him wonder why such a place would need help. Especially if it was protected by Reki and his group's leader, who and whatever he was.

A well-off and prosperous town must have been seen as a decent target for thieves, Boruto realized. Robbers must have seen these good homes and thought they could strike a fortune by stealing from a place like this. One ruled by a king as well. No doubt they wanted to steal from the king's palace and bag a tremendous prize. A place like this must have been seen as a goldmine to such thieving people.

It also occurred to Boruto that if Reki was not allowed to leave the forest, it would have been easy for thieves to enter the town and steal without having to worry. Apparently Reki's group protected the forest and the king protected the town and its people. That must have been how it worked. Boruto didn't know for certain if that was the case but he had a hunch that his assumption was correct. For this reason alone, the king must have needed help. If Reki and his group couldn't leave the forest or the mountain then obviously the king needed to call for help from people who could.

Still, Boruto wondered why Reki didn't want to show himself. Since he said that humans scared him, it was obvious that he wasn't a human himself. Boruto must have been dealing with something else, but what? Was it a ghost? No, not if Reki could pick up a peach and give it to him. But Reki said he was given offerings so that sounded like ghost business to him. What else could he have been? Whatever he was, he didn't want a human to see him. Was he really ugly? Was he ashamed of his appearance? Boruto hoped to see him after they had talked for so long but Reki had refused him. Apparently Boruto hadn't earned his trust just yet. Simply being Naruto's son wasn't enough to convince Reki to show himself.

Boruto sighed. What good was it to be the son of the Hokage if it didn't give him special privileges? He wasn't allowed on advanced missions, his father wasn't able to bend the rules or spend time with him and he wasn't given access to certain places or allowed to see certain people. It wasn't fair.

Boruto stopped and looked ahead. He could see the king's palace on top of a small hill overlooking the town. As long as he stayed on this road, it was a straight line to the front gate. Boruto hurried through the town and over to the palace.

As he moved closer, Boruto sensed something was amiss. He stopped and looked around. There should have been guards at the gate. Security was pretty lax around here. He walked slowly towards the gate and noticed that the guards were positioned just inside the gate, facing the palace.

"That's weird," Boruto said to himself. "Why are they facing the wrong way? Are they looking to get the jump on someone as they enter and surprise them?" It would make sense because Boruto wasn't able to see them until he moved closer and angled his head just right. An intruder wouldn't have noticed them until they tried to enter the gate.

A shadow moved between the buildings to Boruto's right. Someone was in the town. Thinking it was one of the thieves, Boruto turned away from the palace to pursue them. He moved quickly but quietly. Thinking he could surprise them, Boruto moved behind one of the buildings. As he did, the person he was tracking bumped right into him.

"Oof!"

"Ah!"

The person who bumped into him was a little taller than he was but his voice sounded young.

"I didn't!"

"Huh?" Boruto looked at the person who bumped into him.

It was a boy, no older than himself. He had dark brown hair and brown eyes and a fair complexion. Whoever this boy was, he didn't play outside too often. He carried a flashlight in his hand but it was turned off at the moment. In the pale light of the moon and stars, Boruto saw the boy's outfit. It was a fine robe colored emerald green with silver thread embroidered around the cuff and hem which looked as if it were made from the star-scattered sky.

This boy was of nobility. There was no doubt about that.

"You came from the palace, didn't you?" asked Boruto.

The boy gave him a panicked look, as if he expected to be scolded harshly and then beaten. "I- I just... It's not..."

"What are you doing out here?" Boruto hissed.

"It was only for a second!"

"A noble shouldn't be out of the palace," said Boruto. "It's dangerous out here. Where are your guards?"

"Shh!" The boy threw a hand over Boruto's mouth. "I don't want them to find me just yet! Please keep your voice down. I just managed to sneak out."

Boruto shoved his hand away. "Sneak out?"

"Yeah. I had to get out without them knowing otherwise they would never let me leave."

"Why would you want to leave?" asked Boruto. "As a noble, you're supposed to stay in the palace. That's how it works."

While Boruto didn't know too much about royalty or noble clans outside of the Hyuga, he knew that they weren't supposed to leave their palaces unless they were heavily guarded. He had never heard of a king coming and going as he pleased. They always stayed on their throne. They weren't ninja so they would be unable to defend themselves should something happen, and someone always targeted royalty.

"Ugh, you sound like my dad." The boy rolled his eyes. "He never wants to leave the palace because he has so much work to do. But I'm not like that, ok? I want to taste adventure. And my adventures are pretty simple compared to others who want to explore the whole world. I just want to see one thing real quick then go home. Is that so bad?"

"Your dad? Then..." Boruto looked him over. He thought he looked a little young. Now he was certain. "So you're not the king."

"Of course I'm not," said the boy. "I'm the prince."

"The prince?"

"Yup! Prince Hoshi at your service," he said proudly, dipping his upper body in a short bow. "Of course, you should really be bowing to me."

Boruto raised his brow at the prince. "You don't really act like any prince I've ever heard of."

"Just how many have you actually met? Oh, I see. You think we all have to be proper and never do anything. Well, I'm not like that. No matter how much Dad wants me to be. Or Mom. They don't get it."

"A prince is supposed to stay in the palace and do stuff in there. They don't go out."

"Says who?"

"Says... Says..." Boruto didn't have an answer. "Well, that's just how it is."

"I know what the rules say, but I don't care. Like a prince doesn't want to go outside and have fun once in a while? I've read books where princes are like knights and go riding off on a horse and things like that. They do stuff. Besides, things are boring in the palace. It's the same thing all the time. I want something different once in a while, you know?"

This prince was certainly different from what Boruto was expecting. Hoshi wasn't very prim and proper. He spoke like a normal child and had a bit of an attitude. He wasn't being mean or anything, just different from what Boruto was expecting. Hoshi obviously didn't want to abide by certain rules that claimed a prince had to be a certain way. He must have been a rebel.

"Say..." said Hoshi. "You're not from around here, are you? What's your name?"

"I'm Boruto. I'm a ninja from the Hidden Leaf."

Hoshi went wide-eyed. "Did you say a ninja? You're a ninja?"

"Uh-huh."

"That's perfect!" Hoshi grabbed him and pulled him behind a building. "I have a mission for you! It's real important, so you gotta do it."

"W- wait a second! I-"

"You have to help me."

"I- I know! Just listen for a second!"

Hoshi frowned. "What?"

"That's the reason I'm here. I was called to help out at this town by your dad. The king said that there were these thieves hanging around and he needed help from a ninja to stop them."

Hoshi looked confused. "I never heard anything about that. Then again, Dad never tells me anything... But why would he asked for help from a ninja when we have so many guards and the protection from the ones on the mountain?"

"I have the paper right-" Boruto reached for his bag only to discover that it was missing. "That's right. The swamp. Well, the mission told me to come here..." He just had a horrible thought. "Oh, please don't tell me I went to the wrong place again! If I ended up in the wrong town, I swear... I'm gonna..."

"Never mind that right now," said Hoshi. "As long as you're here, you can help me."

"But I have a mission to get to and if this isn't the right place, then I have to-"

"I'll pay you!" Hoshi interrupted. "Tons! We have a lot of money and I promise I'll pay you for helping me."

"B- but..."

"Here." Hoshi slipped an anklet off his right leg and offered it to Boruto. "As a down-payment. Now that you're indebted to me, you have to help."

Boruto looked at the jewelry shoved into his hands. This anklet was encrusted with jewels and woven with pure silver. It was very expensive and would certainly be worth a lot of money if he traded it for cash.

"Well... Ok. Ok, I'll help you."

"Yes!"

It wasn't just the jewelry he was given or the promise for more. Boruto wanted to help at least someone in the town so it wasn't a wasted trip. He was a ninja, after all. He wanted to help people. It was his job.

"Ok, so what's the mission?"

Hoshi pointed over Boruto's head. "There."

Boruto turned and saw the mountain staring back at them. "There?"

"Yup! I want you to help me get to that mountain. I've tried so many times before but I never could. With a ninja, it will be way easier."

"Why do you want to go there?"

"I'll explain on the way. Right now we need to get going before we're caught and I get dragged back to the palace." Hoshi grabbed Boruto's wrist and pulled him towards the trees. "This way. Come on, hurry."

Boruto followed him into the trees and walked around the town using the trees for cover. It would have been much easier to cut through the town and head back the way Boruto had come but Hoshi seemed to have a different plan in mind.

"I've tried so many times before, but I'm always stopped either by my dad or by the guards. I've been thwarted before even leaving the palace yard or its gates. Some times I'm caught heading for the door. But not tonight. Sometimes, though rare, I manage to slip through the gates before the guards even see me and get into town. Then I'm caught."

That must have been why the guards were facing the other way. They must have been keeping watch for the prince in case he attempted to leave the palace again. According to Hoshi, he had tried this many times.

Boruto still wondered why Hoshi wanted to leave the palace and go to the mountain so desperately. He wanted to know his reasons for doing this. He didn't think it was as simple as climbing a mountain for the sake of saying he did it. There must have been more to it than that.

"So, uh... Why do you want to go to the mountain so bad?"

Hoshi stopped and turned around. "You don't know? Oh, it's famous in this town."

"What is?"

Hoshi leaned closer to Boruto with a big smile on his face. "The mountain is home to... kitsune."

"... Huh?"

"Yup. There's a whole group of them up there. There's a bunch and they live on that mountain. They have so for years. My dad told me. They're the guardians of the mountain and all this land."

Boruto was skeptical. "So you're desperate to see the kitsune living in the mountain? Kitsune? Aren't they folklore and stuff like that? They can't be real."

"They are! They really are!" said Hoshi. "I saw one!"

"You saw one? You actually saw one?"

"Yeah! For real! Outside the palace." Hoshi's eyes started to sparkle like the silver embroidery on his clothing. "I was up one night and heard my dad talking to someone out in the yard so I went to see. It was the middle of the night and dad usually never has people over at night. He's always in bed at that hour so I thought it was strange. So I went to the window and looked outside and I saw it."

The memory alone was enough to make Hoshi's heart beat fast. It was years ago but it was a sight he would never forget.

"It was a kitsune. A real live kitsune with five tails. And he was talking to my dad like they knew each other. I watched them for a while and the kitsune left. It was so cool." Hoshi's eyes were still twinkling. "Ever since then, I've been trying to meet him but he always runs off before I get the chance. I only saw it once, but I know it comes by every now and then to speak to my dad. But whenever I get close, it suddenly stops and runs off."

Boruto wondered if any of this was true. It didn't make a lot of sense to him. Why would a kitsune show itself to one person but run from another?

"When I asked my dad about it, he said that the fox will only speak to him because it's uncomfortable around humans. He says that a lot of kitsune are afraid of them."

Boruto's heart skipped a beat. Reki said he was afraid of humans and wouldn't show himself. According to Hoshi, the kitsune ran off whenever a human came by. Did this mean that Reki was a kitsune? Was that what he was? Had Boruto been speaking with a kitsune all this time?

"I want more than anything to see them. Just once." Hoshi was aglow with happiness against the dark forest. "It would be awesome to meet one of them. It's not fair that my dad gets to and I don't. So that's why I'm going to the mountain to see them in their home. I'm bound to run into at least one."

Seeing Hoshi's eyes bright with hope and excitement brought Boruto joy. It was nice seeing someone so bright and happy, even if it was about something that may or may not have been real. Though Hoshi claimed he had seen one, Boruto wasn't so sure. It could have been a dream since it happened years ago. Hoshi could have mistaken a dream for something he actually saw. Still, it was nice seeing how happy Hoshi was at the thought of meeting a real live kitsune. A sense of wonder was truly an amazing thing to have.

"I've tried many times to see them," Hoshi went on. "I've even tried sneaking out of the palace many times just to catch a glimpse of them, but I keep getting caught. There are guards all over the place. Usually I'm caught heading out the front gate and get dragged back inside. Sometimes I'm caught before I can make it that far. Recently I've been getting further away before getting caught. I've made it out of the yard twice before. Twice without the guards spotting me." Hoshi hesitated. "But..."

"But what?"

"But then, even though I made it past the gates and into town... I ended up right back where I started. I'm standing right outside the gates and then the guards get me and pull me back in."

Boruto was confused. "Wait. You were in the town and then end up back at the gate? What are you talking about? That doesn't make any sense."

Hoshi chuckled, half amused and half annoyed. "It's the kitsune. They obviously don't want me seeing them. Kitsune can cast illusions to confuse people."

Boruto's heart skipped another beat. The feast in the forest. It was all an illusion. So there were kitsune after all. They must have tricked him as they had done with the prince.

"Though I knew I was walking forward, they cast an illusion around me to make me think that when I was actually walking back the way I came," explained Hoshi. "They made me think I was going forward when I was actually going in a U-turn. They had me circle around and go right back to the gates of the palace. What actually is and is not is all mixed up thanks to them. Boy, did they have me fooled. That's what happened the two times I made it out of the yard. They cast an illusion so I thought I was going the way I wanted but they had me turn around instead. Boy, are they tricky."

"Yeah, yeah, I get that." Boruto was getting a little annoyed. Hoshi was so excited, he was bragging about the kitsune as if it were his accomplishments. He went on and on and even repeated himself as if to make sure the message sank in. "But if these kitsune can cast illusions to make you go back the way you came..."

Hoshi stopped and turned around. "Hm?" He had heard the skepticism in Boruto's voice.

"What I'm saying is if they've thwarted you in the past, what makes you think this time will be any different?"

Hoshi grinned. "Because I have a ninja with me."

"Huh?"

"Yup! With your help, there's no way I can't get there and see at least one of them."

"Say what?"

"With a ninja, I'm confident that my plan will work. Having a ninja to watch over me and all."

Boruto was getting annoyed again. "I get that, but what do you mean? What does me being a ninja have anything to do with meeting these kitsune?"

Hoshi gave Boruto a look as if the answer were obvious. "Aren't ninja highly skilled and can do a lot of things normal people can't? You're sneaky and can do tricks and stuff, so I figured you would be able to give me an edge. With a ninja's help, we're bound to get there."

Flattered that Hoshi thought so highly of his ninja skills, Boruto resisted the urge to bring up the kitsune illusions and how it might set them back.

"And besides, they live on top of a mountain. I can't climb that thing by myself. It was hard enough climbing over the wall in the side yard."

Boruto frowned. "I am not carrying you up a mountain!"

"Why not?"

"I'm not a pack-mule! There's no way I'm climbing up a mountain with you on my back!"

"Well, I can't do it without help."

"We'll both fall!" Climbing up a mountain was difficult enough without someone strapped to his back who was most likely going to be nothing but dead weight. It might have been easier if Boruto could actually use the wall-climbing technique but he had yet to learn that. Concentrating and maintaining his chakra was something he had yet to master. He could summon clones and use other abilities, but water-walking and wall-climbing were out of the question. That required a certain focus of chakra he wasn't yet able to do.

The thought made Boruto mentally curse his father who should have taught him such a thing by now. Sure, it was a little more advanced and they didn't teach those skills at the academy but Boruto expected to know them by now. They would certainly have helped him on this mission.

"Look," said Hoshi sternly. "I'm the prince of this land so you've gotta do what I say. And I've employed you for a mission so that makes me your boss."

"You're a brat is what you are!"

"If you don't make good on your promise to help me, then I'll tell my guards and you'll be sorry."

Boruto blinked. "If you do that, then the guards will know you tried to sneak out again without permission and you'll get in trouble!"

Hoshi opened his mouth to retort, only to realize Boruto was right and closed his mouth. "Hm. Touche."

They were both stuck in this situation. Hoshi realized that making an enemy out of this ninja wouldn't be very wise or beneficial since he still needed him to do this job. It was probably best not to throw his weight around or try intimidating Boruto. They had to work together on this if he had any hopes of seeing a kitsune.

The thought of seeing them made Hoshi forget about their argument and made him more willing to do whatever it took to reach that mountain. He wanted so desperately to see them.

"I'm desperate to see the kitsune living in the mountain," he said. "It makes no sense for us to be fighting. I wouldn't be out here in the middle of the night to see them if I wasn't serious."

Boruto had calmed down as well. "You thought this through, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Let's back up a bit. You said that you've been thwarted many times by both your father and guards, many times before even leaving the palace yard or its gates."

"Uh-huh."

"And when you did manage to get out, then you found yourself right back where you started because of the kitsune's illusions."

"You're point being?"

Boruto sighed, wondering if the prince thought the answer was obvious or if he was just stupid. "My point is... what makes you think tonight will be any different? Aside from me being a ninja. How do you know we'll get to see them before getting caught or get an illusion cast on us?"

Hoshi smiled, confident in his plan. "Because tonight I'm taking a different path. Or should I say 'we'? Instead of going straight there as I had tried before, we are going to take a longer route which leads around the town and into the woods. Then we're going to loop back among the trees and be at the mountain's base. That way we avoid the town which is where the illusions were cast the first couple times."

Boruto didn't know the layout of the land very well, but this prince obviously did. He tried to map it out in his head. The town and the palace were right beside each other and surrounded by trees. The mountain was just a little further away from the town and easily reached through the forest. From atop the mountain, the kitsune would be able to see the palace and the town and therefore anyone traveling in their direction. No doubt this was how the kitsune saw Hoshi coming and put up illusions to confuse him and send him off in a different direction.

"I see," said Boruto. "I think I get it. Going through town is the most direct way to get to the mountain, but it's also out in the open so the kitsune will see us coming. So we're using the trees for cover and going around that way to reach the mountain. So rather than go straight, we're going in a crescent shape around the town through the trees in order to get to the mountain."

"Exactly," said Hoshi. "Plus, most of the kitsune live over in that direction." Hoshi pointed toward the mountain, which happened to be on the other side of town and away from where they were going. "Since they're over there, they're less likely to spot us."

"So we're going away from them in order to get to them," Boruto said slowly. "Well... It's kind of a roundabout way of doing it and I'm not sure it makes a lot of sense... But... I guess for this mission it might work. Since we're sneaking, it makes sense, I think."

"That's what I thought," said Hoshi. "I figured since they'll see me coming if I take the direct path, going around will be better. The direct path is out in the open. Going around gives us more cover. We can get the jump on them this way."

Now that Boruto thought about it, it seemed like a good plan. Hoshi might have some planning skills that would make him a decent ninja.

They continued their walk through the trees and up the hill. Hoshi led the way, stepping over tree roots and stones in the dark. Going through the forest seemed to be a good idea for cover, but it made traveling more difficult. The young prince was having a rough time finding a safe place to step in the dark. He tripped a few times but he didn't seem to mind. The thought of seeing those kitsune gave him all the encouragement he needed to keep going.

When they reached the top of the hill, Hoshi stepped out and looked around. "Whoa..."

Boruto stepped beside him and followed his gaze back to the town.

This was the main path into the town. They could see the road from here leading right back to the slumbering town below. The could see the rooftops and the palace from where they stood. Just beyond the town was a waterfall cascading down into the trees of the forest. And there was the mountain. The peek of the mountain seemed to be holding up the moon hanging in the starry sky.

"This is the farthest from home I've ever been," said the prince in awe. "I've never seen the town look like this. Or the palace. It's beautiful."

Boruto smiled. "Yeah. It really is."

The town was between them and the mountain. No doubt Hoshi would take the path through the trees to avoid being seen, even though it was more direct to go through the town. If they didn't want to be seen, going through the forest was the best way to get to the mountain. It was a little further than cutting through town, but not by much. It wouldn't take them miles out of the way. Only a few minutes and they would be tripping over tree roots and shrubs every step of the way. Boruto could handle that and the prince didn't seem to think it was a big deal. It looked like the prince's plan was going to work.

"See how clever my plan was?" said Hoshi proudly. "This is the farthest I've ever gone and nothing has happened."

"Let's not jinx it," said Boruto. "They could still cast illusions on us and scare us."

"They don't really do that," said Hoshi. "Whenever I got pretty far, they would just make me think I was walking forward when I wasn't. Like I told you. They just manipulated the path and had me walk back the way I came. Nothing scary. Just annoying."

The prince must have been treated to a different illusion than Boruto was in the forest. His was pretty scary, especially since he had no idea what was going on.

"Let's keep going," said Hoshi. "I want to make it there before the sun comes up and they go away."

"Go away?"

"Yeah. Kitsune only come out at night. Daytime is when they sleep."

"Then wouldn't it be easier to look for them then instead of wandering around at night and hoping they don't use illusions?"

Hoshi shook his head. "No. It would be a lot harder. Them up and about is way easier to spot one. I'm not sure where they go in the morning so I wouldn't know where to look. And besides, it would be a lot harder for me to sneak out in the middle of the day. It's hard enough for me to do it at night. Everyone would see me in daylight. Even the people in town because everyone's out during the day. Everyone will be all 'look, there's the prince' and stuff like that. No sneaking around then."

"I guess you have a point."

"I recently discovered these secret passages in the palace and I've been using them to get outside. Some take you out to the yard but then I have to worry about the wall. It's pretty tall and I can't reach it. I managed tonight by standing on a bench from the garden and climbed over using one of my sheets. Tied it to a branch and pulled myself over. Well, I didn't tie it exactly, but I did manage to pull myself over the wall and it wasn't easy, let me tell you."

Boruto grinned. "You got some skills. Ever think of becoming a ninja?"

Hoshi laughed. "Nah. I wouldn't know what to do."

"You seem pretty adventurous."

"Oh, so all princes have to be proper and sit there and bark orders and kiss pretty girls? That last part might be true but it's one of the perks I'm willing to put up with for the job."

Boruto shoved him. "You're a real-"

Their joyful time was cut short when they heard rustling in the forest. Something was coming their way.

"No, no, no..!" Hoshi whined. "I can't go back yet! I haven't seen the kitsune and we're so close! Don't tell me the guards came and found me."

"Or it could be one of the kitsune getting ready to cast an illusion." Boruto grabbed Hoshi by the arm and pulled him back into the trees before they could be spotted.

They ducked down and hid behind the tree trunks and tall grass, waiting to see who it was. If it was a kitsune, then Hoshi would get his wish. If it were the guards, then Hoshi would have to keep himself hidden and avoid capture. He was not going back until he saw a kitsune.

* * *

Any thoughts on what it could be?

Please review! ^-^


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:**

The rustling continued and the boys waited in the forest, holding their breath.

Boruto's heart was pounding. This was so exciting. He wasn't frightened, but pumped. If it were the guards, then he would get Hoshi out of here as quickly as possible, showing off his ninja skills in the process. If it was a kitsune, then Hoshi would get his wish and Boruto would witness something extraordinary. He could hardly stand the excitement. What a rush! He couldn't wait to see what emerged.

The rustling grew louder and they could see two figures emerge from the other side of the road.

Men. Two men came out of the trees, each carrying a sack on their back. One was fairly thin and the other was a bit on the heavy side. They were huffing and puffing and looking back at the mountain with anxious looks on their faces.

Boruto and Hoshi exchanged looks of bewilderment. Hoshi had no idea who these men were. They weren't from the palace and they certainly didn't look like royal guards.

"Dammit!" yelled one of the men in anger. "What the hell is the matter with that freaky mountain? It haunted or what?"

"Freaky stuff, man. Freaky stuff. There's no way I'm going back in there."

"You didn't drop anything, did you?"

The heavier man dropped his sack on the ground and sat on it. "Nah, nah... No way. And even if I did, there's no way I'm going back in there."

"You are if you dropped anything important!"

"That rich guy had nothing worth going back for!" snapped the heavier man. "Have you seen this stuff?" He opened the sack and let the contents spill out, pushed under his weight. "I think the guy locked all his good stuff up when he knew we were coming."

"We're lucky no ninja showed up."

"Because we waited a day. See how smart I was to tell you to wait?"

"Waiting was my idea, you moron." The thinner man kicked a silver tray across the road. "The stuff we took was hardly worth anything. But it might fetch us something in the market. Some of those cups have got to be worth something."

"I'm telling you. That rich dude must have locked all his good stuff up before we got there."

"If anything it was because you wanted to wait a day before hitting the place."

"I thought you said it was your idea."

"Why is it my idea when something bad happens but your idea when it's something good?"

Boruto's eyes widened. These men were the thieves! He knew he must have been close to where he needed to be. He was too late to stop them from stealing, but he could stop them now and return what they had taken. His mission wasn't done yet.

"And here I thought we were fortunate enough to stumble upon another place full of riches." The thinner man stood atop the hill overlooking the town. "I mean, look at that palace. The guy's got some goods in there worth stealing."

"Yeah," scoffed the heavier man. "But good luck getting it. That forest alone is like a fun house! I've never seen such things before. Freaky! What's he got, ghosts protecting this place?"

"There's no such thing!"

"Did you not see the stuff going on in there?"

"That stuff wasn't real!"

"Illusion or not, it was freaky as hell!"

Hoshi gasped from his hiding spot. He knew the kitsune were responsible for frightening these thieves. While his father and mother slept soundly with all their people in town, the kitsune were hard at work protecting them from people like these two. Those kitsune were brave heroes. This alone proved it. Now he wanted more than ever to see one and thank them.

"Forget it," said the thinner man. "We can't get to the palace with all that weird stuff going on. Breaking into one of the buildings in town would be just chump-change. I doubt they'd have anything worth stealing. The palace is where the money's at."

"But like you said, we can't get close. And besides, the place is bound to have all sorts of guards and security. There's got to be another way inside. But the only way I can see is if we go around the buildings and over the wall but that means heading back through the forest."

"Dammit, there's no way we're getting into town or the palace with all the crap going on in that forest. So now what?"

"We can grab what we got and go."

"Nah, this stuff isn't worth that much. I was hoping for gold at the very least. Not a bunch of silverware and candlesticks."

"These brass bookends are nice."

"Hardly worth anything. And these things here. Couldn't give 'em away."

Boruto was already hatching a plan in his head. Though he was alone and against two grown men, he was confident he could win if he used his clones. They would even the odds. Now he just had to figure out the best way to go about it.

He remembered attacking the guards at the noble's house and getting overpowered. With that in mind, he knew he had to attack differently this time. Charging right in wouldn't be the best solution. Maybe if he used his clones as a distraction, then jumped out during the scuffle. He wanted the satisfaction of beating them to a pulp, though. He wanted to lead his clones into battle like a hero. Using them to do all the work for him while he sneaked around wasn't the heroic battle he envisioned. A real hero didn't do that. A real hero would go out there himself and lead the charge.

Boruto had his pride. He also wanted to brag to everyone back home about his first real battle. Sneaking around didn't make a very exciting story. He wanted to be remarked as a hero, especially since his father already had a history here. He had to surpass him.

Was this the best idea, though? Boruto was conflicted. Being a hero and surpassing his father was one thing, but would any of that actually happen with his current plan? He was on his own here. No one would back him up if he got into trouble. Maybe he should play it safe and sneak around. He didn't want to do it that way, but maybe it was the smart solution. Was it smart or was it cowardly? Boruto didn't want to be a coward. Attacking head-on wasn't a cowardly thing, it was a brave thing. Maybe he should do it that way.

The thinner man looked in their direction. "What have we got here?"

Boruto ducked behind the tree trunk and held his breath. Did they see the glint of his headband in the starlight? Did he give away their position? There was no denying it now. There was going to be a battle.

"Hey!"

"Ah!" A pair of arms reached behind the tree and grabbed Hoshi's wrists. The young prince squirmed and struggled but the man wasn't letting go.

The prince locked eyes with Boruto just once before he was roughly dragged out of his hiding place and thrown to the ground.

"Well, well, what do we have here, huh?"

Hoshi knelt on the ground and looked up at the man who had grabbed him.

"It's a boy." said his partner, clamping his hand down on the back of the prince's neck. "What are you doing out so late, huh?"

"Let me go!"

"Hang on just a second." The thinner man bent down and grabbed Hoshi's left arm. He was studying the prince's clothes. "Ah..!" A wicked grin started to form.

"What is it?" asked the heavier man.

"A prince," he answered. "Looks like we've got ourselves a young prince. Haha! We have a prince on your hands! How lucky are we?"

Hoshi cringed from the pain in his arm and neck. Their hands were as strong as iron chains and just as useful when it came to capturing him. Hoshi couldn't get away.

"I've got an idea," said the thinner man. "Looks like we won't need to go into the palace after all to get riches. We have all we need right here."

"What are you talking about?"

The man jerked Hoshi forward. "I'm sure the king will pay a princely sum for the safe return of a prince... wouldn't you say?"

Hoshi struggled but he wasn't going anywhere.

"You sure this boy is a prince?" asked the heavier man. "He's out alone in the middle of the night and so far from the palace."

"Look at his clothes. This boy comes from a wealthy family, no doubt about it. Just look at this fine clothing. This boy is so clean and well-kept, he must be well off. And look at his hands." He roughly grabbed Hoshi's wrist and showed his partner Hoshi's palm. "So soft and supple. He's never seen a day's work. He must be the prince."

"I see. He does fit the part nicely. Hm... I guess you're right. The king would pay a handsome price for the safe return of his son. We won't need to go into town at all or face those weird freaky things. We have all we need right here. The king and his money will come right to us."

"We certainly are lucky. Aren't we, young prince?"

Upon seeing the young prince outside the town, they decide to kidnap him and hold the prince for ransom, thinking they would get riches without having to go into the town and deal with all the kitsune trouble. Boruto couldn't let their plan come to fruition. He had to stop them now before this went any further.

"Let me go! Get off!"

"Stop your struggling. You're going to fetch us a pretty price, young prince."

"The king will realize you're missing and come running. Hahaha! This is a great plan."

"I won't let you!" Unable to stand it for another second, Boruto impulsively charged into battle alone. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

He summoned three clones and sent them into battle.

"It's a ninja!" The heavier man picked Hoshi up and carried him under his arm towards the trees. The thinner man grabbed what he could and started fighting the clones. They needed the prince for their plan to work so they weren't going to give him up so easily.

Boruto didn't have a plan, only an objective. He had to save the prince from these men and stop them. How he was going to do that was still unclear, but he had to do something. If he beat them up, they would be unable to move and easier to capture and they would be in no condition to kidnap Hoshi.

One clone popped but the real Boruto took its place. He wanted the satisfaction of taking these men on with his own hands. This was real. This was what he trained for.

"Some ninja! He's a little brat!" The thinner man punched Boruto in the face and sent him into a tree.

Boruto sat up rubbing his jaw. He never expected to be hit that hard from such a thin man. He wasn't a ninja, he was a thief. He should have been easy to fight.

"Ok. Time to get serious!" Boruto got ready with more clones. "Unless you want a butt-kicking, I suggest you let the prince go!"

"A butt-kicking? From who? You? Ha! You're just a kid!"

"I'll show you what I can do!" Boruto dashed forward with three additional clones following his shadow.

These were the thieves Boruto was after in the first place. This was his mission. He had to see it through. They were leaving from their job elsewhere, which meant he was already too late to stop them during the original mission. If he didn't stop them here and now, the mission would have been a failure. The mission wasn't the only thing at stack. Hoshi was also in trouble. Boruto had to save him. These weren't ninja. They were just common thieves. They were having a hard time getting into the town because the kitsune kept it safe, casting illusions to fool them. If they were that easily tricked, it should have been easy to defeat them.

Boruto took a flying leap and prepared to strike. While he was in the air, two of his clones wrapped themselves around the thief's legs to make sure he wasn't going anywhere. The third one remained behind as back-up just in case Boruto got captured or thrown backwards.

This was a good plan. He could win like this. He had everything accounted for.

The thinner man saw Boruto coming for his face and ducked down. He sprang back up, smacking his skull into Boruto's chin. Then he drew a small knife from his belt and stabbed the clones on his legs. As Boruto got ready for another attack, the man put the knife to Hoshi's throat.

Boruto froze.

"Keep acting like that and we'll kill him."

Boruto knew they weren't serious. "You do that and your precious ransom goes, too! The king will never pay you and you'll walk away with nothing."

"Not if the king doesn't know he's dead. We can tell him his son is alive."

"Not if I tell him the truth."

The man smirked. "It doesn't matter. Whether we walk out of here with more loot or not is fine by me. But the prince will be dead and it will be all your fault. You really want his blood on your hands?"

Boruto couldn't believe these men would be so cruel! This was an impossible decision. In any case, he couldn't let anything happen to Hoshi. There was no way he was going to let a hostage die.

What could he do? If he let them have their way, Hoshi would be kidnapped and there was still the chance of these men killing him. Boruto had a mission to see through so he couldn't let them get away. Did he really have to choose between a life and losing a mission? What that his only option? These men could do a lot more as well. Things they hadn't said out loud. Things Boruto wasn't aware of. He felt so confused. Boruto wasn't prepared for this.

The man smirked, knowing Boruto couldn't do anything. "Like I said. You're just some punk kid."

Boruto shot him a look. This common thief didn't take him seriously. He was the son of the Hokage. He could do anything.

Letting his anger get the best of him, Boruto charged in without thinking, wanting nothing more than to take this man down.

The man was still hovering the knife over Hoshi's throat. Another inch and he would be cut. Hoshi leaned his head away from the knife, fearing for his life. He was starting to have his doubts about Boruto. He was a lone ninja and no older than himself. What could he do? This inexperienced kid was going to get him killed.

Boruto stopped just sort of his target and froze, his fist in the air.

The man gave him a confused look. When he saw Boruto smile, his worries were confirmed. Just then, one of his clones tackled the man from behind and sent him forward, away from Hoshi. This thief hadn't eliminated all of the clones. Boruto still had one or two left hiding in the trees, waiting for their moment to jump out.

"I told you to take me seriously!" Boruto punched the man in the face and kicked the knife from his hand. "Now you have to answer to me."

The second man was still holding onto Hoshi and couldn't help his partner. He either had to let Hoshi go or let his partner handle this by himself.

Boruto stood over the thinner man and kept punching him. This man took each and every hit. Boruto was winning. He knew it. He knew a mission like this would be no problem.

Overconfident, Boruto didn't realize that the man still had some fight left in him as he reached for the silver tray he had kicked before. He picked it up and swung it at Boruto's head.

"Ah!" Boruto fell from the unexpected blow. He held the side of his head in pain. That was a hard hit!

"Little brat!" The man kicked Boruto in the stomach while he was down.

Boruto tried to squirm away but the man wouldn't let him get far. He kicked him again. The blow sent Boruto on his side and he lay there in pain, still holding his head. He looked up frantically and saw a blurry outline of the man standing above him. His head was spinning. Was that hit really that bad? Boruto had to get away to recover. He couldn't fight if he couldn't see straight.

"Shadow Clo-"

The man stomped on his hand. He wouldn't let him use a hand sign.

Boruto was getting frantic. This shouldn't have been this hard. He was better than this. He knew he was. He had sparred with one of his father's clones just before the exams and new he was good. Taking down a thief should have been easy. Why was he on the ground in pain? Why was this so much harder than he thought?

Refusing to give up, Boruto stretched out his leg and kicked the man in the groin. As he stumbled back, Boruto freed his arm and performed his hand sign. His clones pulled him to his feet and together they attacked the man while he was weakened. The clones came at him with punches and Boruto came at him with a weapon. Clutching his kunai, he lunged forward and stabbed the man in the rib.

Boruto couldn't get cocky otherwise they would get the jump on him again, but Boruto couldn't help but feel proud of himself. He was winning again.

"Son of a..." The heavier man threw Hoshi aside and went in to help his partner.

hat was a foolish move on his part. Now Hoshi was free. He could easily get away while Boruto battled.

However, Hoshi wasn't running away. He sat there and watched the fight, too stunned to move.

"What the hell are you waiting for?" yelled Boruto. "Run for it!"

Hoshi did not obey. He sat there and stared at Boruto, his eyes fearful.

What was wrong with him? Boruto couldn't understand. Hoshi could run back into town. It would have been so easy. All he had to do was stand up and move. Why wasn't he moving?

"Ahh!" Boruto yelped as the heavier man grabbed him from behind and pulled. Boruto wouldn't let go of his partner. He still had his kunai in the man's rib and had one hand on the man's shirt. He wasn't letting go.

The heavier man picked up the fallen knife and stabbed Boruto with it. The knife cut into Boruto's jacket but thankfully missed most of his flesh. Only the surface of his skin was cut, making the wound pretty shallow.

Boruto released his partner and attacked him instead. He used his clones to back him up and they all ganged up on the bigger man. One by one they were all popped and Boruto was soon alone again.

The man stabbed Boruto in the chest but found that he had been replaced with a log. The real Boruto had just managed to get away in time. He grabbed the prince and pulled him to his feet. Seeing this, the man came after him again.

"Run back to the town!" Boruto shouted at the prince. "Get out of here! Run away!"

"Uh... Uh..." Hoshi was still unable to move.

Before Boruto could convince him, the two men had caught up and grabbed them. The prince looked at Boruto with entreating eyes as he was roughly dragged away by the thinner man.

"Stop! Stop!" Boruto shouted. He threw a weapon at the thinner man but his aim was slightly off due to their movements. The prince was nearly hit instead but thankfully the weapon missed. Boruto decided not to throw another weapon until he had a clear shot. He didn't want to hit the hostage. Instead, he turned his wrath on the man holding him by the arm. "Get off me!"

Boruto kicked and punched but the man wouldn't let him go. His arms were like a vice. Boruto couldn't believe his strangth. He bashed his head into the man's jaw and wrestled his arm free. He hurried to save the prince but was grabbed again. The man had him by both wrists this time. Boruto jumped up and kicked the man in the stomach and tried to pull himself free.

Just then, a sack was thrown over Boruto's head, blocking his view. It was the thinner man. He had used the empty sack to disorient Boruto. He couldn't see and his hands were restrained. There was nothing he could do.

Boruto felt the man pull him in close and hold him as he kicked and struggled. He was scared. He didn't know what was happening. He could hear the prince yelling but couldn't see what was going on. Boruto feared for the prince. What were they doing to him? Were they killing him? Were they dragging him away? Boruto couldn't help him. He tried to use more clones but without use of his hands it was impossible. He kicked and struggled like a child throwing a tantrum. He felt so helpless but he refused to give up. He would get out of this. He had to. There was a way. He just had to find it.

"This ninja's a real handful. What should we do with him?"

"He's worthless to us. Get rid of him. He'll keep coming after us if we don't."

Boruto wriggled around even more, fearing they were going to kill him while he was unable to see. He felt the man shift and knew he was preparing to do something. It was now or never. He had to get out of this now.

His feet hit the ground and he started running. He man was still holding onto his hands and was trying to pull him back. Boruto pulled and managed to get a few steps away. The man dragged him back and Boruto took another step. He had to get away. He had to get this sack off his head and fight them.

"He's more trouble than he's worth!" yelled the man.

Boruto twisted his body around and managed to get one of his hands free. As soon as he started pulling at the sack, he saw the glint of a knife and grabbed it before it could get any closer. He held the handle of the blade with his free hand and pushed it away but the man pushed it towards him. Boruto backed away, trying to get a better stance. He felt the tall grass against his legs and knew he wasn't on the road anymore.

"I'll gut this kid like a freakin' fish!"

Boruto felt the man push him and his feet slid backwards. He still couldn't see but he knew what was happening. As long as the man was holding onto him, Boruto knew where he was.

Maybe it was instinct, maybe it was his mind racing for ideas. Whatever it was, Boruto did something he never expected to do and he never made the conscious decision to do so. He did it automatically.

With his left arm still restrained, he quickly pulled his arm closer to his body and twisted it to the left, against the man's thumb. Then he pulled his arm free and slammed his palm against the man's chest. The force was more powerful than Boruto expected. Maybe it was adrenaline pumping through his body, or the desperation to get away. Or maybe he had unconsciously focused his chakra around his hand to force the man back. Whatever it was, Boruto had freed himself and sent the man flying at the same time.

And himself.

Boruto felt himself falling backwards. He hit the man so hard, he was thrown off his feet, but not nearly as far as the man he attacked.

Boruto grabbed the sack and pulled it off his head just in time to see the cliff he had fallen off shrink away as he fell towards the ground.

He was so shocked, he couldn't yell out.

Everything happened in a flash.

He heard the prince yelling. He saw the sky in front of him and the trees.

And a pair of green eyes.

In an instant, it was all swallowed up and disappeared into a bizarre purple and green light which then faded to black.

Boruto shut his eyes and waited for his body to hit the ground.

* * *

Back at the Leaf Village, Hinata was putting her other child to bed. Her bedroom was gently lit with colorful lamps decorated with butterflies and ponies and flowers. One by one, the lamps were turned out until only one remained lit over Himawari's bed.

"Mommy?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

"Where's Boruto and Daddy?"

Hinata wasn't sure how to answer. She was wondering the same thing herself.

"Well," she said slowly, "Boruto went off on a mission and your dad went to help."

Himawari smiled. "That's nice. I bet Boruto will be happy. He always wants to spend time with Daddy and now he gets a chance. How lucky."

Hinata smiled. "Yes. That is nice." Hinata stroked her child's head. "You know how much he wants to spend time with us, but he's very busy taking care of everyone in the village."

"I know." Himawari pulled the blankets up to her eyes. "I want to spend time with Daddy, too."

"So do I." Hinata understood that Naruto had a lot of work to do, but her children weren't always rational. Himawari was a little more understanding than her brother. Boruto was the one who always wanted things his way and had a short fuse. Naruto was a similar way at his age.

"When will they come back from the mission?" asked her daughter.

Hinata wasn't sure how to respond. Inside, she was worrying but she didn't want her daughter to see that and get upset. So instead, she put on a gentle smile and said, "I'm not sure, but they'll be back before you know it."

Himawari giggled. "Next time, I'll get to go on a mission with Daddy."

Hinata gave an anxious chuckle, knowing the real situation. "Uh... Well, that's not for some time. We'll talk about it, ok?"

"I know. I'm not a ninja yet. But I will be." She grinned brightly. "And then when Shino comes over to visit, he can tell you guys how good I am. Just like how he tells you guys all the bad stuff Boruto does."

Hinata giggled. "Only that he's very loud in the classroom. You know he isn't bad."

"I know he's not. And I know he must be really good if he gets to go on a mission that takes a while. Usually he's back the same day. He must be really strong."

Hinata kissed her on the forehead and said, "When they come home, they can tell you all about it. In the meantime, get some sleep."

"Good-night, Mom."

"Good-night, sweetie."

Hinata stood up and turned out the light. She went to the door, turned once to look at her child, then left the room, closing the door behind her. Hinata's smile faded as she thought of their son alone on a mission he wasn't prepared for. She knew her son was skilled but he wasn't ready for this. She knew how difficult these missions could be. The Chunin exams were hard enough. Several ninja didn't make it back alive. She was nearly killed herself.

"That was then" she told herself. "Things got better. I got better. But Boruto... He's not there yet."

Boruto needed to do a lot of work to get to the next level and Hinata knew that. Whether Boruto knew it remained a mystery. As a mother, she couldn't help but worry about her child. As an experienced ninja herself, she knew the dangers and uncertainties. She knew in her heart that he wasn't ready. He had taken on an advanced mission too soon. He wasn't ready. There were so many things he had yet to learn. So many things he had to understand.

He had done a foolish thing. Whether it was to get attention or to prove himself, it was foolish.

Hinata held her shoulders tightly and prayed for his safety. "Boruto, please be alright. I know Naruto will find you. But in the meantime, please stay safe."

She couldn't protect him now and he needed protection.

Someone had to look out for him.

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9:**

Boruto opened his eyes and looked around. He was expecting the fall to be much worse. His body was sore but he could move. He sat up and checked his body for injuries. The cut on his hand was still healing but it hadn't opened up during the fight. That was fortunate. He checked his side where the knife had stuck him. It stung to the touch, but he seemed alright. He lifted up his jacket and shirt just to be sure. It was a little more than a graze. It wasn't even bleeding anymore.

"Ok. I'm going to be fine. This isn't too bad. I just have to climb back up and rescue the prin... ce?"

Looking up, he realized he wasn't near the cliff anymore. He saw it just before he shut his eyes. He had fallen from the cliff.

Where was the cliff? Where were the trees? And the road? And the two men and the prince? Where was any of it?

Turning around, Boruto could see no trace of the land he had been traveling anywhere. The mountain was gone. The town was nowhere to be seen and the trees had all disappeared.

"Wha... what the hell?"

Boruto found himself in an entirely new place. A place he had never seen before. A place that couldn't be real.

There was mist everywhere. He was walking through fog. He spun in a circle, trying to find a path or a building or anything that would be helpful in finding his way. Nothing jumped out at him. It was as if everything had disappeared.

"Where am I? What is this place? This isn't the place I left."

Boruto started walking, hoping to find something. He was utterly alone. There was no one around and no buildings or anything to be seen. Just mist and fog. Boruto kept his arms tucked close to his body and searched for answers.

It was a while before he started to see things appear in the mist. He could see plants. This was helpful. At least something was living here. As Boruto got closer, he noticed that these plants were unlike anything he had ever seen before. They curled and twisted like ribbon on a present. They sparkled like stardust and glitter.

"What kind of plants are these?" he wondered.

There were more as he walked and a lot stranger. Nearly all of the plants were curly in some way, but some were lit up like lanterns and others were large enough for Boruto to hide inside. Some sprayed glitter into the air and others chimed like bells in the wind. Some were blue, some were yellow and others were red and orange. Some plants were glowing and others were sparkling and some were just vibrantly colored.

"These things are weird." Boruto was tempted to touch one but thought better about it. He wasn't sure what would happen if he did. "They could be poisonous."

The further he wandered, the more plants he found. There were even bigger ones along this path. Tiny fireflies danced overhead, leaping from leaf to leaf. When Boruto took a closer look, he discovered that these weren't fireflies at all. He didn't know what they were. He had never seen such a thing before.

"This place is weird. How do I get out of here?"

A giant mushroom blocked his path, leaving Boruto to climb over it. The top was very soft and gave under the slightest pressure. There were more ahead, which gave Boruto an idea. He jumped and landed on top of another mushroom which then bounced him to another. He bounced from one to the next until he was on the other side. Boruto laughed, finding the experience very enjoyable. The mushrooms were like colorful trampolines. Wondering what other fun things there were ahead, Boruto pressed on.

He came to a lake with giant lilies floating on the water. The water looked very strange. Instead of blue, the water was a pastel green and had a faint glow to it. The lily was a bright pink color and welcomed him like a boat onto the water. Curious, Boruto climbed aboard and sailed to the other side of the lake.

Tall curly grass greeted him on the other side, but this grass was yellow and purple. It was so strange. Boruto wandered through the grass and came to another place full of strange plants, nearly all of which were glowing. Butterflies fluttered past him, their wings like a checkerboard. He had never seen butterfly wings like that. These butterflies were much larger than the ones he was familiar with. These were the size of crows.

The plants began to move and a small animal appeared. A rabbit. Boruto stopped and looked down at the pink rabbit with confusion. Rabbits weren't pink. Wary of the strange creature, Boruto moved on.

More creatures began to appear and Boruto soon grew nervous. These things were big! And strange-looking. A giraffe with a blue mane and a neck twisted into a knot, deer with legs so long they may as well have been stilts and even raccoons wearing tiny kimonos.

Boruto tried to ignore them but couldn't help but stare as he walked by. They were just too strange.

He bumped into a large body and jumped back in surprise. A large buffalo blocked his path. On the bridge of its nose was a small horn like that of a rhino. Its long hairs sparkled as it moved as if it were filled with glitter. Boruto ran past it as fast as he could. He didn't know what it was and didn't want to stick around while it stared at him.

"Now what?" Boruto saw a whole crowd of animals ahead of him and every one of them was strange in its own way. He tried to hurry away from them but there were too many and they weren't in much of a hurry to move. Many of the animals didn't seem to notice him. Others turned their heads in his direction and stared.

Boruto's foot snagged something and he stumbled forward into a large duck. The duck turned its head and looked at him with beady eyes. Boruto pushed the duck out of his way and kept going. When he looked back, he saw the duck was glaring at him. It opened its mouth and showed its razor-sharp teeth.

Boruto flinched, knowing full-well that ducks didn't have teeth. Nor were they the size of a refrigerator. He ran from the duck, hoping it wouldn't follow.

Then something else blocked his path. Hogs with a massive upper body stood before him and stared. With them were a gathering of green geese with tail feathers like those of a peacock. Boruto ran around them and kept going until he saw the duck again. It was still following him.

"Leave me alone!" he yelled and ran off.

Once again, an animal was in his way. A wolf this time. It had purple fur and a large upper body just like the hogs. Boruto knew wolves were dangerous and took out his weapon to fight. He had to defend himself. The wolf looked at the kunai and back at Boruto.

"Get! Shoo!" Boruto ordered.

The wolf narrowed its eyes and growled. It snapped its jaws at him and barked.

Boruto tried to scare it off by swinging his weapon but the wolf wasn't intimidated. Knowing the wolf wasn't going to back down, Boruto attacked, cutting into the wolf's fur with his weapon. There was no resistance around the blade. It felt like it had hit nothing.

Knowing it had been attacked, the wolf stood on its hind legs and roared at him.

"Ahh!" Boruto didn't expect a wolf to do this. Scared, he threw the kunai at the wolf's head.

His blade passed through the wolf's head and out the other side as if the wolf were just an illusion.

What it an illusion? Was any of this real? Maybe it was all fake like the feast.

Just as he thought that, the wolf attacked him, hitting him so hard, Boruto was sent flying backwards.

"Ow!" Boruto grabbed his ribs and held them. He was in great pain. There was no way this was an illusion. He was really hurt. Which meant that wolf was really going to kill him.

A pink rabbit stood beside the wolf and grew to an enormous size in a matter of seconds. The rabbit's eyes turned red and it roared like a beast.

Frightened. Boruto scrambled to his feet and ran. He looked back and saw them chasing him.

"This isn't real. This can't be real!"

They roared and started to close in behind him.

Boruto ran as fast as he could. He looked back again and saw they were still chasing him. He threw another kunai at them which passed through their bodies and landed behind them in the mist. These animals couldn't be hit by his weapons but they could hit him.

The plants around him dimmed and shrank away as if terrified by the animals on the attack. His source of light was shrinking away. The blooming flowers retreated back into buds and hid themselves from the furious animals. Boruto ran faster but knew there was no getting away.

The wolf behind him slammed the back of its paw into Boruto's spine and sent him forward. Boruto landed on his chest and spun around. The animals were closing in and there was no way he could stand up in time to run away. It was no use. It was impossible for him to avoid them.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Nothing happened.

Boruto gasped and looked around in a panic. He couldn't have been out of chakra. That was impossible. Not this soon. He hadn't used very many clones in the fight against the thieves so he should have had a lot of chakra left.

"Why isn't anything happening?" Boruto kept trying. "Shadow Clone Jutsu! Come on! Shadow Clone Jutsu! Shadow Clone..."

The animals were on top of him and he was completely and utterly alone.

No clones, no useful weapons, and no back-up.

Now he could see how foolish he was to leave without bringing anyone with him. He thought if he had told anyone on his team where he was going, they would have told his parents or tried to stop him themselves. There was no way they would be willing to go on a mission like this without further preparation. They would have refused, saying how they weren't ready for such an advanced mission. They certainly wouldn't have gone with him if it wasn't an approved mission. If they knew Boruto had stolen the mission paper and hadn't been assigned, they would not only have refused to go with him but they would have told on him for certain.

But without them to back him up, he had no one. Now that he was in trouble, there was no one there to save him.

He thought he could manage it when he used his clones to help him out of the swamp, but he got lucky. If he wasn't fast enough, he would have ended up eaten instead of his backpack. He could have had someone help him read the map and make sure he was going the right way. He could have had someone attack the thieves instead of taking them on by himself and get overwhelmed. He thought it would be easy but as soon as they ganged up on him, he realized he needed help and there was no one there to help him.

This wasn't how he thought it would be. He thought it would be much easier than this. He wasn't expecting any of this.

He had no idea where he was and no idea how to get back.

Boruto ducked and rolled out of the wolf's way and half crawled, half stumbled towards the plants. They shrank as he approached and Boruto fell down a steep hill, landing on his side.

There was no one there to save him. No one to help him. He didn't know where he was and neither did anyone else.

He had been gone for two days. Someone should have noticed him missing by now.

Was his mother worried? What about his sister? Would he ever see them again?

Boruto looked back at the hill and saw the animals coming for him. Boruto gasped and panted, limping away then tripped and fell to his knees.

"Mom..." He couldn't help but call for her, even knowing she would not hear him. "Mom..."

He would never see her again. He was going to die here and she would never know what happened. They would never find him. They would never know. His sister. How would she react? He couldn't stand the thought of his baby sister grieving over him. He left without even saying good-bye. He left without telling anyone.

"Dad..."

He would never come. He probably didn't even know he was missing. Of course his father would never come. He was never there.

It all hit him at once. The fear, the panic, the sadness, everything. Realizing he was about to be killed without anyone knowing what happened was too much to stomach. Realizing he had screwed up and couldn't do anything was too much for him to bear.

What happened to the prince? What about the thieves? Where was he? Would he ever get home? Would he ever see his family again? Was he really this weak? Would anyone ever know what happened to him? Was he really going to die?

Tears rolled down Boruto's cheeks. He couldn't stop himself from crying. He had held it in this long but he couldn't anymore. Not with all this regret and fear and uncertainty. He was overwhelmed. His emotions got the better of him and he started crying.

The wolf was upon him. It roared, raising its paw to attack. Boruto sat on the ground and watched the paw come crashing down. At the last second, he shut his eyes and waited for the pain.

The pain didn't come. Instead he heard the wolf roar and snarl.

"Come on!"

Boruto's eyes flew open. The wolf was still there and so was the rabbit, but there was someone else with them now.

A human.

"I said come on!" The human grabbed Boruto's wrist and pulled him to his feet. "Hurry! Move it!"

Boruto couldn't make a sound as they ran. The human did most of the work, pulling him along as he was too stunned to react.

Boruto looked back and saw the wolf chasing them on all fours. "Its coming!"

"Move!" The human spun Boruto around and stepped in front of him.

Now Boruto could see the human more clearly. It was a boy, only a few years older than himself. He had long dark hair which fell loose around his back and shoulder.

The boy turned his back to Boruto and said, "Stay behind me."

Numb, Boruto did as he was told.

The wolf stood on its hind legs and struck with its arm. The boy threw out his arm and blocked. Boruto shut his eyes, afraid to see what happened next but when he opened them both were unharmed. The wolf growled and struck again. This time, Boruto watched.

As its paw came down on the boy, he threw up his arm to block a second time. Their blows canceled each other out, but something strange happened as their blows met. At the moment of contact, light appeared around the boy's hand. Boruto watched closely, wondering what that light was. When a third blow occurred, he saw it more clearly. It wasn't just light. They were feathers. Feathers made of light appeared at the moment of contact and faded away just as quickly.

Every blow resulted in these strange feathers of light. The boy didn't have any wings so this was something Boruto couldn't explain. Then again, he couldn't explain any of this.

"Hyah!" The boy blocked again, this time crying out as he did so. Again the feathers appeared. It was like watching the boy pound a dusty carpet, only instead of dust, feathers appeared. It was strange to watch but also very captivating.

Finally the wolf stopped, huffing and puffing. The boy stood tall and stared the wolf down. The wolf continued to huff and growled at him.

"It's alright," said the boy in a calm voice. "Go on."

The wolf stopped growling but continued to stare.

"Go on," the boy said again and pointed into the distance. "It's fine. Go."

The wolf lowered itself and trotted off on its four legs. The rabbit stood and watched the boy. When the boy did nothing, the rabbit shrank back to its small size and followed the wolf.

Boruto let out a sigh of relief. Before he could ask any questions, the boy grabbed his arm and pulled.

"This way, hurry."

Boruto looked back and saw other animals, one of which was the duck from before. Boruto followed the boy, not that he had much of a choice, to another place with lots of animals.

The boy stopped and looked over the herd. He looked left then right. "This way." He pulled Boruto in a different direction.

Whoever this boy was, he was fast. Boruto wouldn't have been able to keep up if the boy hadn't been holding onto his wrist.

The boy took him away from the animals and into a gathering of more plants. Everything passed by in a blur. Before Boruto knew it, they were back in the middle of nowhere with nothing but mist and stones to accompany them.

"We should be safe here." The boy let go of his arm and walked in a circle, making sure there was nothing around. Only when he was certain they were alone did he finally sit down on one of the rocks and let out a deep sigh.

Boruto looked the boy over. He didn't know this boy. This was their first encounter. His skills were great, leading Boruto to believe he was a fellow ninja. However, this boy did not have a headband. He couldn't have been a ninja. He didn't appear to be using Jutsu either. Whatever that technique was he performed against the wolf, it was something Boruto had never seen before.

Actually, that wasn't entirely true. Though the feathers of light were new to him, the moves he was using looked similar to the ones he had seen his mother use while training his sister.

"So, uh... Thanks. For back there."

The boy looked at him. "You shouldn't be here."

"Huh?"

"I said you shouldn't be here," he repeated with slight annoyance. "How did you even get here in the first place?"

"Uh..." Boruto didn't know where he was so he wasn't sure how to begin answering that.

"Forget it."

Boruto frowned. "Look, thanks for saving me and all, but you've got a real attitude, you know that?"

"I have an attitude?" The boy seemed annoyed at first, then he started to smirk. "I wasn't the one crying back there like a child."

"I wasn't crying!"

"You still have tears in your eyes."

Boruto quickly wiped them away. "Do not!"

The boy rolled his eyes.

"I don't!"

The boy paused before speaking again. "I still want to know how you got here. This place isn't something a living human can access."

"This place?" Boruto looked around. He knew he was somewhere else but wasn't sure where. Clearly this boy knew exactly where they were. "Where are we exactly?"

"It's complicated."

"You don't know, do you?"

"Of course I do. I'm just not too familiar with this side. I'm usually over there." He jerked his thumb in another direction. "But I know about this place. I don't usually come here, that's all. My place is over on that side."

"What's over there, then?"

"It's not important."

Boruto could see he wasn't getting anywhere with this person. He was kind enough to save him but he seemed a bit stuck-up from Boruto's perspective. Maybe stuck-up wasn't the correct phrase. Either way, he did have a bit of an attitude, even if Boruto couldn't place it.

"So why did those things attack me back there?"

"Because you gave off a bad vibe," said the boy. "You attacked them first, didn't you? If you appear threatening, they change. Their demeanor and their bodies. That's just how those kind are. They aren't all like that. Just those."

"But what are they exactly?"

"They're spirits," he answered. "This place is a part of the spirit realm. It's pretty vast. I haven't seen all of it and there are some places I'm not meant to go."

"Spirit realm..?" Boruto flinched. "Then... Does that mean I'm dead?!"

"No, you idiot!" he snapped. "Like I said, it's complicated. You're in a part of the spirit realm. Somehow you came here body and soul, which isn't normal. Which is why your weapons are useless here. You can't harm these spirits with weapons from the living world. It's pointless. But they can attack you, as you're probably aware of by now. So if I were you, I'd keep my weapons on my belt. And Jutsu is pointless as well so don't bother trying. Since things from the living world shouldn't be here, I suggest we go back and pick up all the weapons you threw at them. Just to be safe. We'll wait until things settle down, then go back. We shouldn't have a problem then."

Boruto was getting suspicious of this boy. For someone who didn't look like a ninja, he certainly knew a lot about them. He knew about weapons and their uses and he knew about Jutsu as well.

Boruto paced the area, keeping his eyes on the boy. He was a teenager with long dark hair. Nothing about him really stood out. The feathers still had Boruto baffled and he wanted to learn more about them. First, he had to find out more about this person. He wasn't sure if he could trust him or not.

"Don't worry," said the boy. "You can trust me."

"You knew what I was thinking?"

"I can read people pretty well. Besides, it's not hard to read the meaning of that glare you're giving me."

Boruto's face softened. "Sorry."

"It's fine."

Though Boruto wasn't sure if he should trust him or not, since he did just save him from danger, Boruto thought he should be a little kinder to this person, whoever he was.

"So you live somewhere else?"

"You could say that."

"Do you know how I can get back?"

"That all depends on how you got here."

Boruto frowned. "I'm not sure exactly. One minute, I'm fighting these guys trying to kidnap a prince and the next I'm falling off a cliff. Now I'm here."

"Who was this prince?" he asked. "Maybe there's a clue in the details you aren't giving me."

"Just some prince who's trying to see these kitsune things on a mountain."

The boy's expression changed from serious to surprised. His eyes widened slightly then softened. "Ah." He started to grin. "That would explain things a bit."

"So you know what's going on?" Boruto approached the boy and sat down on a nearby rock, facing him. "Tell me."

"I think I know where you were and what happened. One of the kitsune must have opened a portal to this realm and as you fell from the cliff, you entered the portal just before it closed. Whether that's fortunate or not is up for you to decide. On the plus side, you didn't fall. You just got transported here."

"So those kitsune things are real?"

"Yup." His answer was plain, but Boruto knew he was hiding more than he was saying. He must have known about these kitsune. Maybe even knew them personally. Boruto didn't know why he was holding back so much information. Maybe he didn't like the attention or wanted to be mysterious.

There was one mystery Boruto wanted to crack, however. He wanted to know who this boy was. With all this information, he must have been someone important. Even if he wasn't, Boruto still wanted to know who he was.

"So... um..." Boruto began. "What's your name?"

The boy looked up at him and answered. "Neji."

* * *

Ohh! :D

Please review! ^-^


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10:**

As it turned out, Boruto had taken a wrong turn. Naruto went to the town that had sent for help and they mentioned that no one had shown up and now that Naruto was there, it was too late. Many of their belongings had already been taken because aid had not come to stop the thieves.

This meant Boruto was still out there. Alone and lost.

Naruto was getting worried. Boruto could have been anywhere. He thought about spreading his clones far and wide to search for his son, but even he couldn't make enough clones to cover the globe. If Boruto had taken a wrong turn, he really could have been anywhere after all this time. Naruto's search wasn't condensed to just this area. His son truly could have been anywhere.

Anywhere.

Pacing the ground, Naruto tried to think. He had to narrow his search somehow. There were so many factors. How far Boruto had traveled, the direction he took, the pace he was taking, possible dangers along the way, things that could have slowed his journey, including injury. There was too much to think about. The area was too vast.

"Screw it," Naruto growled and started running into the forest again.

"You could still use your clones, you know," Kurama told him. "Spread them out a-ways and see what happens."

"My son could be anywhere. What if I do that and they still end up missing him because I spread them too far to cover more ground? What if Boruto is hurt and can't move? What if he's underground or in a building? What if-"

"What if? What if? Tch! Who knew you would get so worked up like this? I don't think I've ever seen you like this before. This is a new kind of worried."

"You'd understand if you had kids."

"Yeah. You look like you understand a whole lot, Naruto. You're the one who went and lost their kid and can't find them."

"It's not like I was holding his hand when he ran off!"

"No. You just weren't around to see it happen. You didn't see him take off."

Naruto stopped in the middle of the path and stood still.

"What are you doing?"

Naruto looked at the ground. "I know I'm not always around. But I am home and I do try to spend time with him. I just can't be there every second of the day. Even when I am there, Boruto can be... I don't know... But you're right. I wasn't around when he took off. Maybe I could have stopped him. Or maybe he wouldn't have run off at all if I had been around."

Kurama was silent for a while. It actually wasn't his intention to make Naruto feel bad this time. When he said Boruto had run off when Naruto wasn't around, he didn't mean to call attention to him not being around.

"If it makes you feel any better," said Kurama, "your wife was home at the time and even she didn't notice him up and leave."

"That's your idea of making me feel better?"

"I'm not saying, I'm just saying."

"You think we're neglectful parents?"

"I didn't say that. Why are you putting words in my mouth?"

Naruto looked at the ground.

Kurama sighed. "Hey. You're out here looking for your son. That doesn't say neglect to me. You're out here searching for him yourself instead of making someone else do it for you. You left your village to look for him. I know you're not thinking clearly, but clearly your heart's in the right place. Right now, you know what's really important."

The village needed him, but not in this moment. Now Boruto needed him.

Naruto smiled. "Thanks, Kurama." He chuckled. "I had no idea you could be so..."

"Do not finish that sentence. I don't want you saying I'm kindhearted or something like that. Even calling me considerate is pushing it."

"I was going to say wise. Is that so bad?"

Kurama chuckled with pride. "Well, I am very wise. My intellect is superior to many, including you though that isn't saying much. But I don't want you complementing me. Feels weird."

"I'm having a conversation with a fox in my head. I'm not sure it can get much weirder than that."

"I don't know. I've seen some pretty strange stuff." Then Kurama said, "And just so you know, the kid's a ninja. Attentive or not, he would know how to sneak away. Just saying."

Naruto lifted his head and sprinted down the path until he came to a fork in the road. Should he keep going straight or to the left or right? Naruto tried to think, not with logic but with his gut. He knew his son was out here somewhere. Maybe the bond between father and son would be enough to lead him down the right path so they could reunite. Was that foolish thinking? He had been called a fool before so thinking like one actually made some sense.

Naruto turned down the left path.

"Why this one?" asked Kurama.

"A hunch."

"A hunch? Seriously? Why not sent a couple clones down the other paths? Why go down one path because of a hunch?"

"Because Kakashi-sensei did a lot of things based on hunches and they usually turned out correct."

"That's just plain old dumb luck. And you're not your sensei. Just because it works for him doesn't mean it will work for you."

"I'm taking a chance."

"Why?"

"A hunch."

Kurama growled.

* * *

Boruto stared at the boy who was now identified as Neji with mild wonder and confusion. That name sounded very familiar to him though he had never actually met anyone with that name in person.

"Neji," Boruto repeated. Hearing it spoken a second time gave him a strange feeling he couldn't identify. He knew that name from somewhere. "Neji, huh?" Saying it again only confirmed what he suspected. He did know that name.

He tried to think, repeating the name over again in his mind. He had to figure this out. He knew he knew that name.

Finally, he had it.

"I have an uncle named Neji. He's dead, though."

The boy turned his head slightly to the side and looked away. "Yup."

"Mom talks about him sometimes. She visits his grave with my sister a lot. Dad does, too, sometimes. When mom talks about him, I can tell he meant a lot to her. She said if it wasn't for him, she and dad wouldn't have ended up together. I'm not sure why. Something about a ninja war a while back. I wasn't born yet. But she's always bringing flowers to his grave and stuff like that. I don't think I've ever heard her say anything bad about him. I can tell she misses him."

The boy smiled. It was kind and loving and gentle. It made him look softer somehow. "Hinata is very kind. I'm glad she's doing well. She became so strong but she has such a gentle heart."

Boruto looked at Neji with surprise and confusion. "I never..." He never told Neji his mother's name. "How did you know my mom's name?"

"How do you think?"

Boruto had no idea. This person looked human but was clearly different. If he lived here with those strange animals, he must have been different from a normal human being. The light and feathers were proof of that. How could this person have known his mother? They could have met before somewhere. He had the same name as the uncle Hinata spoke of but this couldn't have been him. Could it? It must have been a coincidence.

Seeing that Boruto wasn't putting two and two together, Neji sighed and gave him the answer. "My full name is Neji Hyuga."

"Wait... But then..."

Neji opened his eyes wide, showing Boruto that he had no pupils, just like Hinata. His mother had the same eyes. His sister as well. He was indeed a Hyuga.

"What?! No way! You're my uncle?!"

"Finally get it?"

"But how can that be? We're close in age. You can't be my uncle. You're practically a kid like me."

"Young adult," Neji corrected. "I was a teenager when I died. It's only natural that I look this way. You tend to look the age you were when you died. Stuck in time, I guess you could say. Makes sense."

Boruto was in shock. He couldn't believe it. "So... So you really are my uncle? You're Uncle Neji?"

"I told you that already," Neji said with annoyance. "Yes, I am. What does it take? I swear, you're as thick as your father."

"What did you say?!" Boruto snapped.

"You heard me."

Boruto forgot his anger and realized something frightening. "Wait a minute. If you're my uncle... and I'm talking to you and seeing you here in front of me... Is this place..?" Boruto looked around fearfully. "Is this heaven? Holy crap, am I dead?!"

"No, no, calm down!" Neji told him. "This is just a part of the spirit realm. You're not dead. I told you that before. I thought I explained this to you. You don't need to worry. You were just transported here, body and spirit. Which is a good thing. The fact that your Jutsu and weapons don't work is proof that you're still alive and a human being. If they did then you should be worried. Not that Jutsu works here anyway. Don't worry. We'll get you back home."

Boruto started to calm down. "Ok. Ok..." He was still frightened and confused. It was overwhelming going through what he just experienced then discovering he was saved by his deceased uncle. It was a little too much at once.

Neji sat calmly where he was and glanced around the area. They were still alone.

"So, um..." Boruto began.

"Yes?"

Boruto crouched on the ground, wrapping his arms around his knees. "Nothing." He sat quietly without another word.

* * *

"Naruto."

"What is it now, Kurama?"

"I'm sensing something."

Naruto's legs stopped but his body was still in motion. He skidded across the dirt for a distance then to a complete stop. "What is it?"

Kurama did not answer him.

"What is it? You said you sensed something, so out with it."

"Give me a second. I can't really explain it," said Kurama. "It's been years since I last sensed this. It's strong, whatever it is."

"Are you sensing a ninja or something?"

"No. It's animal. But stronger. It's not a tailed beast or anything like that. It's... I suppose you could call it spiritual. It's a fox, I know that much."

"A fox?"

"Yes. I sensed it years ago, though it wasn't this strong, but the signature is about the same. It's when you had that ridiculous curse put on you and the whole village went nuts."

Naruto tried to figure out what the Nine-Tails was telling him. Within moments, he knew. A smile started to creep onto his face.

Excitement and wonder and nostalgia.

"We must be near that place." They must have been near the kitsune mountain and the human town just below it.

For a brief second, Naruto forgot about his son and felt so much joy and longing. He turned down the path and wanted to run. He was so excited to see his friends again, he could hardly think.

Then his mind and body settled down and realized something. "If we're near this place... maybe Boruto is nearby. He could be here. The town that called for help isn't that far away from here. Boruto could have taken a wrong turn and come here instead. It's possible. This place has a town and someone of nobility."

"Royalty," corrected Kurama.

"Same thing. Boruto could have mistaken this place for his mission destination. It's possible, right?"

"Are you sure you're not making excuses to see the kitsune again?"

Naruto rolled his eyes and started down the path. "I would think you'd be a little more willing to reunite with them. Being a fox yourself."

"Don't lump me in with them as if we're all the same. I am not a kitsune. I am in a league of my own."

"A fox is a fox, isn't it?"

Kurama snarled at him.

"Touchy."

"They are your friends, Naruto. I have never had the pleasure of meeting them. Or lack thereof."

"You don't get along with anyone, do you?"

The path through the trees was long and full of plant life. Even more since the last time Naruto had been through here. It had been years so it wasn't surprising to find certain areas overgrown or trees being taller with a few extra branches. Taking this path was also nostalgic. Like returning to a friend's house after many years apart. Naruto's mind was already overflowing with memories, good and bad. The history he had with the kitsune was one he would never forget.

He saw light. An eerie greenish blue light between the trees.

His heart skipped a beat.

"Naruto?" came a familiar voice. "Naruto!"

He couldn't help but smile. "Ryosuke!"

A fox appeared from between the trees and onto the dirt path. Ryosuke was a decently large size compared to normal foxes and he was sporting five tails which sent flickering flames into the air like light from a sparkler at a slower speed.

Naruto greeted Ryosuke with a humble bow which Ryosuke returned, dipping his head forward and bending his front legs.

"It's good to see you, Ryosuke."

"You, too, my friend."

"It's strange seeing you out this far from the mountain. Is everything alright?"

"We've actually had some trouble," said Ryosuke. "Some strange men came to the area looking for trouble so we kept them at bay with our fox fire. Unfortunately, though they left the town, they still managed to find something to make work for us."

"What do you mean?"

"I'll explain on the way. Follow me."

Naruto ran alongside Ryosuke down the dirt path between the trees. Ryosuke's steps were few and far between, gliding more than stepping. As a five-tailed kitsune, he now had the ability to fly if he so wished. Kitsune with fewer tails were a lower rank and could not do such a thing. Every now and again, Ryosuke would step and fling himself forward, soaring down the path by Naruto's side.

"These men are strangers. They do not belong to the town or even this area. We've never seen them before. But they were looking to cause trouble. They stole many goods and were carrying them in sacks on their backs. They wanted to rob the people in town and even the king's palace. The other kitsune kept them away with illusions and they fled shortly after, not daring to try it again."

"That's not the end of it, is it?" Naruto asked.

"I'm afraid not. It would seem that the young prince had gotten out of bed again and was looking to enter the mountain. He does this from time to time. We are usually able to keep him away until the guards bring him back home. It would be far too dangerous for him to climb a mountain alone and with no training."

"Yeah, no kidding."

"But tonight he got out again and the strangers found him and tried to capture him."

"They must have wanted to use the prince for ransom," said Naruto. "Trade him for gold or something."

"I managed to interfere just in time, but we still have a bit of a situation."

"Is the prince ok?" asked Naruto.

"He seems to be, but he isn't the main issue." Ryosuke galloped a short distance then glided again. "Reki spoke with me before I came here. He said he found a human in the forest wearing a headband with the symbol of your village."

Naruto gasped. His son was here after all. "Boruto."

"Yes. That is what he said his name was. Reki escorted him to town because he said he had a mission here and was summoned."

Naruto groaned. "So he did mistake this place for his mission... Is Boruto alright, though?"

"That's sort of the problem." Ryosuke gestured ahead with his muzzle. "I was in the spirit realm for a bit so I missed a few things like the strangers showing up. I came back and saw that the prince was in danger and went to help him. At the same time, someone dropped from the cliff side and into the portal I was leaping out of just before it closed. I think that was your son. I only saw him for a second before he disappeared."

Naruto was worried. "If that happened... Is Boruto going to be alright?"

"He should be. It's safer to drop into there than it is to drop to the ground from that height. I'm sure he's alright. But you must come quickly."

Naruto nodded and followed Ryosuke back to the town where their history first began.

* * *

They meet again.

Please review! ^-^


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11:**

Neji glanced over at Boruto who was still sitting on the ground with his arms wrapped around his legs. He tried to read him the way he did others he came across. Neji was often complemented for his skills as a ninja but for his perception as well, though it wasn't always brought up.

Right off the bat, Neji could tell that Boruto was frightened and worried and confused and unsure and homesick. Though he was good at reading people, he wasn't always good at helping them feel better.

Neji wasn't sure how to comfort others. He had a tender side, but it was buried under everything else, including his harshness and strict methods. Mostly it was from all the pressure he put on himself and his upbringing. His father didn't have a firm hand, so he wasn't the cause. It was the competition between the main branch and his second branch. He strove to be the best and show the main branch that he was just as good as they were, if not better. He wanted to surpass them. Having someone like Gai as his sensei and a teammate like Lee also helped fuel the competitiveness within him. He was so driven, he pushed himself very hard and had come to expect others to do the same. Those who couldn't were weak in his eyes. More so when he was a little younger. He had changed a little and became more tolerant, but still remained very competitive. So much so that it was hard for him to tell when people needed a break or had to be taught using a different method. That wasn't how Neji was brought up. His training was intense and rough, going for hours without a break and doing things no one else would attempt. If he was on the ground, he was ordered to get up. He was never offered a gentle hand that allowed him to go at his own pace and to relax if he needed it. He was taught to push through the pain and keep going.

Because of this, Neji had a hard time comforting others. What worked for him might not work for them. He worked on it when he trained with Hinata. In the beginning her training was intense and hard, but gradually, as Hinata improved, Neji backed off a little and didn't bark at her quite as much. He was still tough on her, but he smiled more when she did well rather than give her the same stoic look over and over again.

For Neji, dealing with feelings was more of a challenge because he would think the same way he did for training. If someone was tired, he would tell them to suck it up and keep going. When someone was upset, he would tell them the same thing. Do not show feelings. Order the person to stop crying. For some people, that method did not work. They needed someone to comfort them in a much different way. They were allowed to cry until they felt better and were offered words of love and comfort. Neji was unfamiliar with such things. He could do it, he just didn't have a lot of practice. Because he was unsure how to offer people that sort of comfort, he often kept his distance and had someone else do it in his place.

Right now, it seemed that Boruto was in need of that kind of comfort. Neji had to do something to help ease his stress.

Maybe it would be easier since he wasn't as stressed as he was in life.

"Boruto."

He hid his face in his knees.

"Boruto."

"What?" his muffled voice asked.

"This is a rare opportunity for you to speak with your uncle. I suggest you take advantage of it."

"Don't wanna."

Neji frowned. "I think I would have much rather met my niece," he said. "She looks like she'd be much better company. Cuter, too."

Boruto curled into a tighter ball.

"You look too much like your father anyway."

"Shut up."

Neji smirked. "What? Is that insulting?"

"He's a stupid jerk," said Boruto. "He wouldn't even let me go on this stupid mission. Didn't think I could handle it."

Neji sighed. "As much as I hate to say it, I think he was right. You couldn't handle it."

Boruto's head snapped up. "What was that?" he snarled.

"I said he's right. You're not ready."

"I am, too!" Boruto jumped to his feet.

"Sorry, but I side with your father on this one."

"I am ready! Look!" Boruto pointed to his headband. "See this? It means I'm a ninja! A real ninja! And a real ninja goes on dangerous missions to help people and keep people safe."

"Not if you don't know what you're doing."

"I know what I'm doing. I've already been on two missions before this one."

"Yeah. Two D rank missions. And only two!"

"So what? It's not my fault my dad doesn't take me seriously enough to give me better missions." Boruto blinked. "Wait, how do you know that?"

"I see things."

Boruto folded his arms. "Is that your bad attempt at a joke? A Byakugan gag?"

Neji sighed. "No. More of an afterlife thing. Though I'm dead, I'm still aware of things that are happening. Especially involving people I care about."

"Care about?" Boruto scoffed. "You've never even met me in life. How could you possibly care?"

"Because you're Hinata's child. Therefore, you are important to me."

Boruto's face softened slightly. "Just what kind of relationship did you have with my mom, anyway?"

Neji opened his mouth, then closed it. "I..." He looked away with a sigh. "Let's just say, I did some things I can never make up for. And... I could never let her know just how sorry I am. How I..."

"How what?"

Neji looked back and locked eyes with Boruto. "The short version is that I judged her before I even knew her. After I spent some time with her, I learned what a wonderful person she was and knew I had made a terrible mistake."

"Why?" Boruto asked. "What did you do?"

Neji didn't give him the answer he wanted. Instead, he turned the conversation back to what they were discussing before. "Don't try to change the subject. All you need to know is that I care about you because I care about Hinata and she cares about you, just like your father."

"Will you stop trying to get me to talk about him? I told you he's a jerk. He wouldn't let me go on this mission even though I've already done two missions before this. How am I supposed to prove myself if all he gives me are these baby missions? I need something harder."

"But you weren't ready, just as he said," Neji told him. "I think this mission was more difficult than you were prepared for."

"Sure, it's not the walk in the park I thought it would be, but so what?" said Boruto. "Part of being a ninja is dealing with something difficult and handling a situation that turns bad. A ninja needs to improvise and such. Sure, some things didn't work out as I expected, but did I give up? No. I kept going because a real ninja never gives up. I didn't turn back when things got rough. I kept going. See? The fact that I can do that obviously means that I'm well on my way to being a great ninja. No matter what my dad thinks."

"I don't think that's the issue."

"Oh, what do you know? You obviously weren't a very good ninja if you wound up dead."

Neji glared at him. "Do you even know how I died?" Neji said angrily. "Or why?"

"Uh..." Seeing Neji get angry like this brought out Boruto's timid side. Neji was scary when he was angry.

"Your mother, the one who gave birth to your and your sister, was about to die and I took the hit to save her life. It was during the ninja war which took place before you were born. If I hadn't done that, you wouldn't be alive. I died that day instead of her. The enemy would have killed her if I hadn't."

Boruto swallowed, his heart beating fast. He knew Neji had died, but he didn't know the details. Only that he died a hero.

"Hinata, your mother, was willing to die for Naruto. I was willing to die for both of them. That is why I never met you in life. But because of my sacrifice, you were able to be born and live."

Boruto looked down, partly out of shame. He shouldn't have run his mouth like that.

"Which his why..." Neji stood up and looked down at Boruto, "the war was won. Naruto ended up winning and because of the victory, so many people respected him and he was able to become the Hokage in the future. They don't just give you the position. You have to earn it and be able to do the job. So many people trust Naruto with their lives. He saved many lives during the war. So you should give your father a little more credit. You should really listen to what your mom and dad tell you. If they say it's too dangerous, listen to them. They know what they're talking about."

Boruto frowned. "But being a ninja is a dangerous job. I want to be a ninja and when I graduated, they said they were proud of me. Don't they know I'll be in danger on missions?"

"Of course they do. But they also know what missions you're going to be ready for. Right now, you're not ready for something like this."

"But I went to class, I graduated, I went on missions."

"Two."

"Whatever!" Boruto snapped. "The point is, I know what I'm doing. There were some setbacks, but I was able to overcome a lot of obstacles. I know what I'm doing."

"No, you don't." Neji sat back down. "Your mother was worried about you. I heard her and I decided to keep an eye on you. I saw what happened during your mission. Some things were easily avoidable."

"Such as?" Boruto was willing to hear Neji out and get some notes. That way, he wouldn't make those mistakes again. He wanted to know where he went wrong, though he already knew.

"First of all, the snacks you packed weren't the best choice."

Boruto was surprised. He didn't think Neji would pick snacks as something he had done wrong. "What's wrong with them?"

"Well, you picked cookies and crackers and snack bars, for starters," said Neji. "Those things will dry out your mouth and make you thirsty. You'll run out of water before you can get very far. It's good to stay hydrated, but your water supply will be gone sooner."

"I guess I should have packed more water."

"That's an idea, but on missions you need to travel light. Like when you packed a lot later on when you got new supplies. It weighed you down and made it harder to move. It also made your muscles sore which effects your movements."

Boruto knew he was right. That's exactly what happened.

"Traveling with one canteen of water is a good idea. Just ration it and fill it up when you get to a clean stream or river."

"What if there aren't any?"

"Not by the side of the road, there won't be," said Neji. "That's the other thing. Traveling on the road is ok, but when you're looking for someone or trying to intercept someone, you're better off staying off the main road. It offers you more cover. In the woods is where you'll find water. You're chances are better there. On the plus side, packing fruit was a good idea because it's healthy, will give you energy, and you can drink the juice and stay hydrated that way. However, packing it the way you did caused them to get crushed."

"Yeah, I should have packed it better..."

"Cookies were a poor choice, not just because it would make you thirsty, but because of what you might already be aware of."

Boruto gave him a confused look.

"You got a stomachache, didn't you? Eating just sweets without anything to balance it out made you feel sick which effected your performance. It doesn't matter how skilled you are or how strong. If your body isn't in good shape, your chances of winning go down."

Boruto sighed. "I guess I messed up there..."

"At least you know for the future," said Neji. "You packed a map which is a good thing. But you got turned around in the forest. You tried to look at the sky to get your bearings, which was good, but you neglected to take into account the fact that time had passed so things weren't where they were the last time you looked."

"Yeah, I know that. Now." Boruto sat on the ground and rested his head in his hands.

"The big thing you messed up on was going alone. You need your teammates with you in case you run into trouble. Which happened several times," Neji told him. "The swamp is a good example. Sure, your clones helped you, but what if they didn't? What if you had been knocked out? What if you couldn't swim? You could have drowned or been eaten and no one would have known what happened to you. How would your mother react? What would she do?"

Boruto didn't want to think about that. He loved his mother a lot. Thinking of her grieving over his tragic loss and not even having a body to bury was almost too much to bear. Breaking her heart was a painful thought. He didn't want to cause her that kind of pain.

"Or the first place you went to, thinking it was your destination. You got overwhelmed quickly. If you had backup, they would have been able to assist you, save you, or even retreat and come up with a plan to help you out in some other way and take the enemy down. Same thing for what happened at the town you were just at with the young prince. You couldn't do it alone. Not even with your clones. You needed backup. Someone could have helped you fight, and someone could have rescued the prince while you were battling."

"Yeah, that's the other thing," said Boruto. "I told the prince to run and he just stood there. It's his fault things-"

"Boruto," Neji interrupted. "You have to understand that sometimes, things don't go your way on missions. More importantly, people don't always do what you think or want them to do. The prince was scared. He was petrified with fear. Because of that fear, he couldn't run away when you told him to. Sometimes people freeze up and even they don't know why. People are unpredictable. The prince could have also tried to help you fight. Or he could have run off and gotten into more trouble. You can prepare all you like but things are going to happen whether or not you prepared for it. Things can go wrong. Things you never thought of could occur. What if those men had a third accomplice? You would have really been screwed. You don't know."

Boruto looked down.

"It could have been worse. They could have been ninja. What if one of them used Genjutsu on you and trapped you in an illusion? You would have needed backup to help break you out of it."

"They weren't ninja, though," said Boruto. "It should have been easy to take them down."

"I've come across a lot of ordinary people who were a lot stronger than they looked. You can't always predict how strong someone's going to be based on whether or not they're a ninja. Be prepared for anything."

Neji moved closer and put a hand on Boruto's head.

"And," he said, "going on missions, as low ranking as they may be, will help toughen you up and give you experience. Every mission is important. Experience is the key. You may come across some important things during a D mission you never thought you'd witness. And sometimes, those missions can become harder in ways you never imagined."

"Like how?"

"Well..." Neji tried to think of an example. "On one D mission I went on, we had to help catch some pigs that got out of their pen. We rounded them up but we soon realized that they didn't escape without help. As it turns out, someone was trying to steal them. That wasn't a part of the mission. No one knew about it. We stumbled upon that fact during the mission and managed to resolve it. There was another time when we were sent on a D mission and happened to stumble upon some bandits. We just happened to cross paths with them on their way somewhere else. We weren't prepared but we had to fight anyway."

Boruto understood. He had a little taste of that himself when he agreed to help the prince get to the mountain. He never imagined that he would be facing some strong thieves along the way. It was supposed to be an easy mission but something unpredictable happened.

"And like I said, D missions can help you in other ways. You can learn so much. Even something as simple as how to tie a certain kind of not that may come in handy on future missions. A lot of times, your sensei will teach you new techniques while on these missions."

Boruto folded his arms. "Why should the sensei have to do it when my dad-"

"Let me stop you right there," said Neji. "Your parents can teach you a lot of ninja skills, but your sensei will always teach you something else. It's important to listen to everyone. There are some things your parents might not know or be able to do. And some things they can't teach in a way that you'll listen. Every sensei does this with every team. That's just how it works. Your instructor in school can only teach you so much. The rest is up to you, your sensei, your teammates, your parents, your friends and even strangers you meet on the way. Education is not exclusive."

"I guess..."

"And there are a lot of things you have to learn on your own. Experience. Your father managed to invent his own Jutsu. There are some other ninja who managed to do the same thing but it's a rare talent and very difficult to master. Such things no one can teach you. All they can do is give you the skills you may need in order to apply it to a new technique. Do you see what I'm saying?"

Boruto looked away, chewing on his lip. "Mm..." Neji did have a lot of good points. Things that never occurred to him before. "I guess."

"And those D missions also help strengthen your body as well as give you experience. No teacher like experience, right?" Neji went on. "On those missions you can learn what plants are edible, how to find water, traveling, medical herbs, the difference between them, and even what animals are dangerous and how to handle them. Sometimes you don't have to engage the animal in battle. There are simpler ways to get rid of them without risking injury or using unnecessary energy."

That would have been useful to know when facing that wild boar.

"I still don't see why my dad couldn't have taught me that stuff already. Why wait for a D mission? If he had taught me that stuff, I would have been able to skip the low ranking missions and go right into something worthwhile."

"You're not listening to a single thing I'm saying, are you?" Neji asked with mild annoyance. "I told you, your parents can't hold your hand through everything. Some things you have to do on your own. Some things your parents don't know. Knowing how something his done is only half the battle. You can read all the books you want on the subject and study and do all of that, but it's very different when you're actually out there doing it. Reading about it and doing it are two different things. Just because you listen to what they say and hear all about it doesn't mean it's going to be easy to do it in real life. You have to get your hands dirty and do it."

"But-"

"Like with the thieves," Neji went on. "You said they were stronger than you thought they would be. If your father had told you that fighting non-ninjas were going to be difficult, would you have still been prepared for that? Would knowing about it have made fighting them any easier?"

Boruto didn't have an answer, but he knew in his heart that Neji was right. Even if he went in knowing his opponent would be strong, it didn't make him stronger or them any easier to fight. Like knowing how certain foods tasted. The flavor could be described perfectly, but actually eating it would be a different experience. He would know firsthand.

Neji patted Boruto's shoulder twice before removing his hand and returning it to his side. Neji's hand was warm, like a living person, but Neji admitted that he was dead. Boruto wasn't frightened by him. He was strangely comforted.

"I think enough time has passed, if you want to get going," said Neji. "You shouldn't be here for too long anyway. I have no idea what being here for an extended period will do to you."

Boruto wanted to leave. He wanted to get back to his mission and make sure the prince was safe. He had to defeat the thieves and finish his mission.

He wanted to, but he hesitated.

"What's wrong?"

He had more information than he did before, so he felt confident he could win this time around. He was a little ashamed that he hadn't won the first time and that he had made so many rookie mistakes, but there was another reason for his hesitation. One he couldn't figure out because he thought he was so grown up. One that was so simple.

He was afraid to face his parents after this. He had run off without permission. At first, he thought they would be proud when he returned home after a successful mission. Even if he defeated the enemy and completed the mission, he still made so many mistakes. He hadn't done as perfectly as he wanted, but that wasn't why he was afraid to face them. It was the child sense of disobeying his parents. Inside, he knew even if he brought home gold, they would still be upset with him. He was afraid to go home and face them after this. He hadn't thought about it at all until now.

Ninja or not, he was still a child. He didn't think he was or wanted to admit it, but he was.

"Come on." Neji extended his hand. "I'll take you back and you can decide from there what you want to do."

Neji knew what Boruto was thinking and what he was feeling. He wasn't that hard to read.

Boruto refused to take his hand but he followed obediently.

* * *

"Naruto."

"Not now, Kurama."

"Yes, now."

"What?"

"I have a bone to pick with you about what you said about a fox being a fox."

"You still on about that? I thought it was settled. Fine. I'm sorry, ok? End of story."

"Is not," Kurama growled.

"Look, I thought you would like the kitsune. Not just because they're foxes, but because they have power. Like Ryosuke. I figured you two would get along a little better than regular foxes."

"Not likely and certainly not with the likes of him."

"Why not?"

Kurama was silent. Then he snarled. "It's the way he is."

"How's that?" Naruto asked.

"He's no ordinary fox. His lifestyle is similar to wild foxes but they're different in certain ways."

"Yeah, ok," said Naruto. "Despite the little differences, I thought you two might get along. He has a lot of tails, just like you."

"Not just like me."

"Ok, fine. He has five and you have nine but-"

"That's not what I meant," said Kurama in annoyance. "It's how he is."

Naruto was confused. "How is he?"

"He has power and yet he does so little with it," Kurama answered. "Even I can sense how much power he has and honestly, he's only using a fraction of what he's capable of. He's holding back, whereas I wouldn't. He doesn't even use that curse ability he possesses."

"You know the reason for that, don't you?" said Naruto. "He vowed never to use it after what happened with Reevo."

"Yes, I am aware of that. But..." Kurama let out a huff or irritation. "I know we will never see eye-to-eye. He's too gentle. And I can tell he still struggles. Not with his abilities, but with his actions. He wants to do the right thing and not be corrupt. I'm sure that's part of why he holds himself back. I think."

"You think? You just said you were sure."

"This fox his different from me so it's harder to read him. He isn't a tailed beast but he is a fox with power."

Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Don't give me that." Kurama huffed again. "Ryosuke has chosen his own path. He's doing well. He's strong and he tries to do the right thing. Maybe that's what I'm sensing as well. He wants to make sure he doesn't make mistakes. No. On second thought, it that's he doesn't want to seem unsure in the eyes of those around him. He doesn't want to doubt himself or have doubt because he doesn't want them to pick up on it and doubt him as well. Perhaps that's it."

"You really think that?" Naruto was concerned for Ryosuke. He didn't want his friend to be afraid to make a mistake.

"That's more like him in the past when we met up during that big event at the village," said Kurama. "Now, I'm sensing that he's more comfortable with himself and how he handles things."

Naruto gave a sigh of relief. "That's good."

"I still don't like him, though. I say, if you have that power, show it off and make them fear you. He's too concerned making sure there's peace and everyone has fairness. All this crap about making deals with humans to have enough food and staying out of the town and away from people and protecting them and all that crap. Such a pathetic contract. If I were in his position, I would have scared the humans off and had the run of the place. All the food you could want and no human crap to put up with. I'm not fond of the way he's willing to make a deal and compromise. We're just two different foxes."

"That's for sure," Naruto said with a grin.

"All I'm saying is that I hate how he does things," Kurama said bitterly. "Again with the whole getting scrapes from humans and staying out of the town and offering protection and crap like that. It's annoying as hell. A little self-respect wouldn't hurt him. I suppose it would be a different story if it were a weaker fox type of thing, but he actually has power. Yet he's still making deals and making sure there's fairness for all. That's what I don't like. Him having power and refusing to use it. That's what I can't stand."

"Kurama, you're ranting."

"I'm gonna say what I'm gonna say!"

Naruto sighed. Obviously, this mattered more to the Nine-Tailed Fox than he was letting on. It wasn't often that he met another tailed fox so Naruto understood why he would have so much to say about it. Criticize, was more like it; but Naruto let him rant anyway.

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12:**

Boruto walked beside Neji through the bizarre fields and forests of this world. Even stranger beasts came nearby, forcing Boruto to retreat closer to Neji. Most of the beasts ignored them while some glanced Boruto's way, as if to sense he was not one of them. Boruto knew he didn't belong here and wanted to leave.

High-pitched bird calls sent Boruto reaching for Neji's hand and a flock of odd birds took to the foggy sky. Boruto couldn't tell if there was a sky in this world or not. The sky looked no different from the ground. Light penetrated the fog and another flock of strange birds flew past them. Their feathers sparkled like morning dew on blades of grass.

Boruto flinched when he heard a strange trumpeting sound and clung to Neji's arm, hoping he could mask his presence with Neji's body. He also didn't want to get separated from him in case one of these strange creatures attacked him again. He would be defenseless.

Then he saw what made the strange trumpeting noise and hid himself under Neji's arm. It was the biggest elephant he had ever seen. It was enormous! An adult elephant in the real world would have only come to this creature's knee. It was so big, Boruto couldn't see its head. Only its massive legs and its underside as it stepped over them. Boruto tried to pull Neji off the path to avoid being stepped on but Neji wouldn't budge.

"Don't worry," he told Boruto. "It's fine. We won't be crushed."

The creature stepped over them without a single glance their way and moved on down the path. They watched it go and continued on themselves. Boruto's heart was pounding with excitement. That was the most amazing thing he had ever seen.

"Ah!" Boruto ducked as a flock of fish flew overhead. Fish with wings the color of a rainbow that sent glitter down like sparkling raindrops. "Whoa..!" That was pretty amazing, too.

Then something else caught Boruto's attention and he stood gawking at the field below. A herd of strange animals were frolicking in the field, making a strange sound Boruto had never heard before. They sounded almost like laughing hyenas but these animals had hooves and antlers. Next came a herd of what appeared to be horses which crossed their path and ran into the field and raced away.

"Wow..!"

When these creatures weren't attacking him, they were pretty incredible. These ones weren't hostile at all. They were free and frolicking and amazing.

A herd of horses racing across the field, a pack of wolves chasing each other in play and yipping, birds taking flight, fish swimming in the air with sparkling scales and wings aglow. Boruto had never seen such things before.

"Oh, wow!" Boruto exclaimed, watching the animals below in the field. "Did you see that? Did you see that, Da-?"

He froze.

Neji looked down at him. Boruto loosened his grip and slipped his hand out of Neji's, turning away.

"Boruto..."

"Just shut up." Boruto took the lead, though he had no idea where he was going.

Neji went after him and pulled him down the right path. He pulled on Boruto's arm. "This way-"

Boruto ripped his arm free and glared at Neji. "Leave me alone! You don't know about it!"

Neji pulled back.

"You don't know what it's like!" Boruto snapped. "You don't know about me! What it's like..!"

His chest felt tight again. Boruto couldn't keep his emotions in check. He was angry and sad and afraid and worried and lonely.

"You..." Boruto squeezed his eyes shut to keep the tears from escaping. "You don't know what it's like! Having a father who's never around!"

Neji allowed his emotions to get the best of him as well. "At least your father's alive!"

Boruto opened his eyes and looked at Neji. He looked hurt. He looked angry.

"I had a father, so I know what it's like not to have him around. Naruto grew up without parents. So he really knows what it's like to be alone. I'm lucky in the sense that I at least knew my father before he was gone. He died and I missed him so much. Naruto can't say that. He never knew either of them. His mother or father. You, at least, can! You can come home every day to a loving mother and you can see your father at some point. It's not like he's gone."

"But he's never there!"

"He has a whole village to keep safe. It's not all about you. You can't be selfish. Not only does he look out for your home and everyone in it, he's also helping take care of other lands because that's what the Hokage does. You wouldn't have a good home if he didn't do his job. Just because you don't see him doesn't mean he isn't there."

Boruto clenched his fists and his jaw. He felt an overflow of emotions again but he wouldn't let his sadness show. Only his anger.

"Is that why you did this?" Neji asked in a quiet but firm tone. "Did you go on this mission hoping to finally get his attention?"

Boruto's head snapped up, looking at Neji with wide eyes.

Neji kept his face serious but his eyes told Boruto that he understood. He already knew the answer.

"I see."

Boruto had to say something. "I didn't just do it to get his attention! I'm not some little brat!"

"You certainly act like one."

"He doesn't believe I can handle a mission like this!"

"I thought we went over that."

"I thought I could prove myself and get a little credit for once and show him that I'm just as good as he is! That I deserve a more advanced mission! That I'm strong enough to handle it! But instead... Instead he thinks I'm weak. Like I'm some kid who needs protecting or something. That I can't go on a mission like he does."

Neji listened and watched Boruto refuse to show his sadness. He only let his anger show through, but Neji could see there was more. Hearing Boruto speak the way he did, using those words and that tone, Neji understood.

"You want him to accompany you on a mission."

Boruto gasped softly, looking into Neji's eyes.

"I see. So that's part of your reason for doing this. You thought that if he saw you go on an advanced mission, that he could trust you with more advanced ones in the future. Ones he might go on. You wanted to go on a mission with your father in order to spend more time with him and show off your skills."

Boruto wouldn't let a single tear show. He wouldn't. He couldn't.

Neji was right. Back in the Hokage office, Boruto insisted on the mission no matter how many times Naruto refused to assign it to him. It wasn't just to wear him down into giving him the mission. Part of him wanted to persuade his father into coming along. He could picture it in his head, hearing his father tell him how dangerous it would be and that he had to come along to help him out. That's what he wanted to hear.

It wasn't just about being taken seriously. He also wanted to spend more time with his father.

The way he saw it, Naruto would have to come along with him on this mission if it was really that advanced, or Boruto to complete the mission and his father would be so impressed, he would assign more advanced missions to him that the two of them could go on together. No matter how he looked at it, he would get his way.

Once again, that was childish thinking. That wasn't really how it would have worked. Boruto didn't see the big picture and he chose to ignore the danger. He only saw a positive outcome and none of the negatives.

"Boruto..." Neji bent down to look into his face. From this position, Neji was looking up at him. "This is a childish way to get your father's attention. And it's dangerous. This isn't the way. You're doing more harm than good."

He could see that now. Him going on this mission, making those mistakes, it was all making things worse. Now he could see where he had gone wrong without having to be told.

If only he had let someone else have that mission, they would have gone and stopped the thieves before things escalated. By going on this mission himself, he got hurt, he lost his money, he lost his bag and all his supplies, injured an innocent man and even put the prince in danger. If Boruto had let someone else take the mission, the thieves would have been stopped long before they came to this land and were able to threaten the prince. The prince would have never been in danger if it weren't for him.

What was he thinking?

Neji took Boruto's hand, getting his attention. "It's ok."

Boruto was frowning but he wouldn't cry.

"You were resourceful and you had some good intentions. And you did well in protecting the prince. With your determination, good heart and a little more experience, you'll do fine. You're well on your way to becoming a great ninja."

"But I-"

"Everyone makes mistakes. That's part of experience. Now you know better for the future. I messed up in the past, too. I wasn't as strong as I thought I was. Naruto helped me see that."

"He did? How?"

"A combination of his words, his friendship and kicking my ass during the Chunin Exams. But I'm fine with that. He helped make me a better person and a better ninja because I was a better person."

Was his father really as great as everyone said? Boruto knew he was great. He knew it, but his bitterness for not spending more time with his father made him think he wasn't that great. Maybe it was out of anger. Maybe there was some resentment.

"Naruto might be an idiot, but he has a good heart and as it turns out, he does know what he's doing. His heart's in the right place." Neji stood up, still holding Boruto's hand. "Come on. We're almost there."

* * *

"What the..?" Naruto saw a man through the trees, trying to get off the path. "Is that one of them?" he asked Ryosuke.

"Yeah. He must be trying to escape again." Ryosuke's eyes were focused on something else. "I'm going ahead."

"Right."

They both sped up down the path. Ryosuke jumped down the hill and landed on the edge of town where the other man was located. The second one had fled into the forest.

"So this blasted forest was haunted all along," said the man in the forest. "I guess there are some nasty surprises waiting for us... So..." He struck a match and used it to set the branch in his hand ablaze. "So I guess the best way to deal with this place is to burn it to the ground. No more forest, no more trouble. Haunted or not, this place has given us enough trouble. It's best done away with as soon as possible."

The man raised his arm to set the trees on fire but something grabbed him from behind and held his arm in place.

"This forest his home to many animals, some of whom are my very good friends. I won't let you burn it down."

As the man turned to see who was speaking, he found a fist in his face. "Unh!"

Naruto released his hand and caught the torch before it could cause any damage.

"Screw the animals!" the man snapped, getting up. "It's not like they're people."

"And why should their lives matter any less?"

The man threw a knife at Naruto's head and got a nasty surprise when Naruto's body changed. It looked like he was cloaked in flames. A long arm blocked the knife's path from Naruto's back and held onto it. Another arm was sent forward and grabbed the man, snatching him off the ground and tossing him to where Ryosuke stood with the other human.

"Settle down, Kurama," Naruto said. "I could have taken him myself without the fancy show."

"I wouldn't mind being a little more involved. It can get pretty boring around here."

The cloak vanished and Naruto walked out of the forest and back onto the path leading into town.

"Rich, though. Saying how animal lives matter."

"They do," said Naruto. "I learned that from these guys and a lot more. They're my friends. I don't care that they're animals. They're pretty cool. That guy was just desperate anyway. Lighting the forest on fire. Please." Naruto tossed the torch into the dirt and stomped it out.

"And yet you still eat pork and chicken and beef and-"

"The foxes eat meat, too. And even they know animal lives matter. Wait a minute, why am I even having this conversation?"

"Just want to give you a hard time."

Naruto approached Ryosuke who stood over the two unconscious men on the ground. At least, they appeared to be that way until Naruto realized they were still awake but unable to move. Ryosuke had used an illusion to make them think they were bound and gagged.

"Hey, Ryosuke?"

"Yes, Naruto?"

"You said you were in the spirit realm before," Naruto said. "What were you doing there anyway?"

"I keep the peace with other spirits and creatures." Ryosuke paused. "But... Tonight, I was paying someone a visit."

"Oh?"

He nodded. "I was visiting Jack."

Naruto hadn't heard Jack's name for a while and hearing Ryosuke say his name made Naruto's heart skip a beat. Remembering Jack made Naruto feel both happy and sad. Being in this place, remembering what happened here many years ago, made Naruto's heart ache.

Jack, the horse that wanted to help his kitsune friends. The horse Naruto met for the first time when he was cursed, changing into a kitsune at night and becoming human again in the day. The one who befriended Naruto and told him how much he wanted to help his friends. The one who died many years ago while trying to do just that. Right here in this very town in front of that very forest below that very mountain.

Jack was dead and Naruto felt it was his fault for letting Jack out of his stall and allowing him to race to the mountain. Ryosuke had convinced him that it wasn't his fault and that he shouldn't think that way. That if Naruto hadn't freed Jack from his stable, he would have stood there and watched the battle rage on while he did nothing.

The first time his kitsune friends were in trouble, he wanted so desperately to help but couldn't being trapped in his stall. He had to beg Naruto to help the kitsune in his stead. The second time they were in danger, Jack begged for Naruto to free him so he wouldn't have to watch it happen while he did nothing. He was ashamed and sad that he wasn't able to help his friends the first time that he had to do something this time. He couldn't call himself their friend if he did nothing while they needed help. Naruto freed him and Jack was killed on his way to save his friends. He died just before reaching the forest.

Remembering that made Naruto's heart ache. He remembered the pain. The sorrow. The guilt.

Ryosuke had told him Jack died doing what he wanted. He was able to leave his stable and try to help his friends. If he had remained in that stable the second time their lives were threatened, he would have been beyond depressed. No amount of consoling would have made Jack feel better. It was something he had to do and Naruto helped him. He wanted to leave his stable and help the kitsune. He wanted to be there for his friends.

In the stable he was helpless, outside it he could do something.

Outside the stable, he saw the mountain at night for the first time and all the stars. He saw the town for the first time. He was able to run as fast as he wanted. He could finally do something.

Then a terrible tragedy.

Naruto wanted to help him. He wanted to help him help them. Because he let him out of that stable, he felt he had caused Jack's death. Ryosuke told him that was not the case. He knew Jack better than Naruto did. He knew if he had lived and been trapped in that stable, he would have been devastated and miserable. Though he died out of that stable, he was finally doing what he always wanted.

Though Naruto understood he wasn't to blame, he was still deeply saddened by what happened.

"Is Jack..?" Naruto struggled for words. "How is he? Is he doing ok?"

Ryosuke could see that Naruto was sad by the loss of a good friend. It effected him.

"He's happy."

A tear rolled down Naruto's cheek.

He was free.

Naruto wiped the tear from his face with a sniffle. "I'm glad."

Letting Jack out of that stable, granting his wish to help his friends was the right choice after all.

"Don't start bawling on me, you big wuss!" Kurama barked.

"I'm not!"

With the thieves defeated, the only thing left was to find Boruto. Actually, there was one final issue. If the thieves were here, where was the prince?

"Hoshi!"

Naruto looked down the street and saw a man running with two guards in tow. A boy came running with his arms outstretched and embraced the man tightly.

"Father!"

The two hugged each other in the street while the guards approached Naruto. They passed him as they went for their real target. They grabbed the two men off the ground and bound their limbs with real ropes and checked their clothing for weapons. Naruto then realized that Ryosuke had disappeared. No matter where he turned, he couldn't find him.

"I'm so glad you're safe, Hoshi." Then the man held his son at arm's length and frowned at him. "What were you thinking? Do you have any idea how worried I was? You weren't in your bed and the guards couldn't find you anywhere. I knew you went to the mountain again but this time was different. Those men caught you instead, didn't they? This is why we stay in the palace! It's too dangerous! What if you had gotten hurt? What if those men had killed you or taken you away? I may never have seen you again. And your mother. What would she have done? Hoshi, you have to think. You can't go running off like that. Something could have happened to you. Thank God it wasn't more serious than this."

Hoshi started crying. "I was scared! Those men grabbed me and they said these awful things and I thought I wasn't gonna see you again! I had someone with me but he fell off the cliff and he didn't come back. I thought he was dead but I looked and couldn't find him anywhere. It's like he disappeared. And then some other things happened and I...!" Hoshi sobbed, wiping his tears away with both hands.

Someone fell off the cliff and vanished. That must have been Boruto. Boruto was with this boy.

The man looked up at Naruto, seeing him staring at them without a word. "And who are you?"

"Uh?" Naruto cleared his throat and answered, "I'm Naruto Uzumaki. Hokage of the Leaf."

"Naruto?" The man stared at him for a while then his eyes lit up. "Oh, Naruto! I haven't seen you for so long."

Did he know this man?

"Your Majesty," said one of the guards. "What should we do with these men?"

"Majesty?" Then Naruto realized who this man was. "Your the king, aren't you? Akio, right?"

"Yes, I am." It had been so long, Naruto didn't recognize him at first. So many years had passed and Akio was much older. His hair wasn't as long as it was when he was younger but it was slicked back and he was taller. He wasn't as thin as he was the last time they met but that was only because of the addition of muscle. The robes he was wearing were expensive and beautiful, the embroidery shining even in the moonlight.

"Wow, you've really grown. You look so different."

"So do you, Naruto. It's good to see you." The king then turned to his guards. "Stick them in the basement for now. I'll find out where they came from and see how their people want to handle it. Their sacks seem to be full of stolen goods so I'm sure there are a few people who wish to deal with them personally."

"I can get you that information," said Naruto. "They were stealing from a place nearby and the people asked my village for help. My son took this mission on himself but ended up coming here by accident."

"It's fortunate he did. Otherwise, they may have never been caught, coming onto our land the way that they did." Akio looked at his son. "Hoshi, you said there was someone with you. Was it a ninja? Was he young? What did he look like?"

"He had blond hair and he said he was a ninja. That's why I asked him to accompany me to the mountain."

Akio looked back at Naruto. "It seems that I owe your son a great deal of thanks for saving my boy. I'm very grateful he was here. He protected my son." Akio turned back to his child. "But you wouldn't have needed protection or saving if you had stayed in the palace like you were told."

Hoshi sniffled, wiping away the last of his tears. "I just wanted to see the kitsune... The ones that live in the mountain."

Akio sighed. "Still trying to see them..."

"It's not fair that you get to speak with them and I don't. When you meet with them on palace grounds, they always run off before I can speak to them, too. I only saw one once and now every time I get close, they run off and won't let me see them."

Was that why Ryosuke had run off? Was Hoshi the reason he was no longer here? Naruto wondered why Ryosuke had left. He thought it might have been because his job was done or because kitsune weren't allowed in the town and had to leave before he was spotted.

"Hoshi, I've explained this to you already," said Akio gently. "I meet with them exclusively for business reasons. They are not social visits. And besides, I've told you before that the kitsune are frightened of humans. It was only through certain circumstances that one of them agreed to meet with me."

"But I'm sure once they meet me, they'll see how nice I am and want to see me, too. They don't have to be scared of me. And since my father's the king, I figured I'm entitled to see them, too."

"Just because you're the king's son doesn't mean you get special privileges. Not with everything. You can't just wave the prince card around and expect the get your way."

"But why can't I see them?" Hoshi asked. "Why can't they just let me come to the mountain and see them?"

"Because then every human would want to," said a voice.

Hoshi turned and saw something that made his eyes go wide. Ryosuke was standing beside him and the king.

"Humans have tried to kill us in the past which is why we want to keep our distance. Even if you are a kind human, that doesn't mean they are all like that. If they see you visiting us, then the humans who wish us harm with then try to do the same. And you should know that just because you have rules in place to prevent you from doing certain things doesn't mean you will obey."

Hoshi knew Ryosuke was referring to him sneaking out many times though he was forbidden from doing so.

"Also, we are not something to be gawked at by spectators," Ryosuke went on. "If you are allowed to see us, then everyone would want to try. It would cause many problems. No one would leave us alone and nothing would get done. If you are allowed to see us, you may try to show some of your friends where we live and then they will try to show others and so on. Even if you don't show us off, there will be jealous children who would wish to see us as well. This is why we must remain hidden. We are still animals, Young Prince. If we feel threatened or scared, we will leave this place and never return. Do you understand that, Young Prince?"

Hoshi had never thought of it that way. If he kept pursuing the kitsune, they may end up leaving the mountain and the land. He didn't want to kitsune to go away. He didn't want to be responsible for that. It was because of their protection that he was able to be rescued from the thieves and have the town unharmed. He was able to see his father again because of the kitsune. He didn't want to drive them away.

"There are many dangers in the forest and mountain as well. Climbing it is not easy. You could fall and get hurt or killed. If other humans see you trying to climb the mountain, then they will try and they may end up getting hurt, too. It is for your protection and the protection of others. If someone were to find out that you had seen us, then they might try to climb the mountain. They might fall. If that happens, humans would blame us and may try to drive us out of the area. We don't want humans to get hurt and we don't want humans thinking we encouraged a human to do something dangerous. We must protect each other."

Hoshi nodded. "I understand. I didn't mean any harm."

"I know you didn't. But we also have some young kitsune in the mountain as well who attack any human they see because they do not know better. Not until they are older. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you. And if other older kitsune see you looking for them, they will think you are hunting them and run away. It is best if you leave us in peace and wait for us to come to you."

Hoshi nodded again. "I can accept that. I'm sorry for the trouble. Please don't go anywhere."

Ryosuke nodded. "As long as you understand that, we will stay. But please do not do anything dangerous like this again. It was a close call with those men. We almost didn't make it in time."

"I know." Hoshi bowed his head to the kitsune. "Thank you for saving me. And thanks for looking out for the town and everyone."

"It is not just me," said Ryosuke. "Your father looks after everyone as well. Including us. You would do well to listen to him."

Naruto had a feeling that Ryosuke wasn't serious about leaving the mountain and never returning if Hoshi kept his search for them. The mountain was too dear to the kitsune for them to leave it so easily. Ryosuke must have been trying to make his point in a way the young prince would understand.

Ryosuke walked away from the prince and the king, returning to Naruto's side. "I had to speak with the boy. He does this so often and this time was serious."

"So that's why you hid. You didn't want him to see you."

"Pretty much. It can be complicated. But you know the highlights, I guess you could say."

"I know enough. I don't need every detail."

Ryosuke grinned. "Now. Let's get your son back to this world."

"Good. How can you do that?"

"The portal can only stay open for a few seconds. It won't remain open for long. As long as he's near where he was when he entered, the opening should be there."

"I see. So as long as you opened the portal near the first place you opened it, it should be in the same area where he is."

"Correct. But if your son wandered, it may take some searching. If he isn't where he was when it was first opened, then I will have to go in and find him. Hopefully he's still there and didn't go too far. If that's the case, then we're fortunate." Ryosuke hesitated before saying, "The spirit realm isn't without its dangers. There are creatures in there that he would do well to stay away from. Another reason to hope he's nearby the opening he first entered."

Naruto swallowed. It seemed no matter what, Boruto was going to be putting himself in danger. Naruto prayed his son was alright. If he wasn't near the opening, things would get more complicated.

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13:**

Neji stopped along the path and pointed to the kunai on the ground. "Pick that up," he told Boruto.

Boruto bent down and picked up the weapon and returned it to the pouch on his belt. He didn't complain. He returned to Neji's side and continued their walk.

"You say a lot of nice things about my dad," said Boruto as they walked. "But even you admitted he's an idiot. How can you speak so highly of a person and still call them an idiot?"

"You think your father's an idiot but you still love him, don't you?"

Boruto didn't answer. There were times he wasn't sure if he loved him or not, especially when he was angry with him. However, deep down, he truly did love his father. If he didn't love him, not spending more time together wouldn't bother him as much as it did. He did love his father.

"I do," he admitted. "I do love him even if he is an idiot."

"He's an idiot who knows what he's doing." Neji frowned. "But... Speaking of love and knowing... There was actually something I would like to know. I'd ask him if I could."

"Ask him what?"

Neji stopped walking and stood very still. "I would ask him... I would ask..." He took in a deep breath and sighed. "I would ask him... Did he marry Hinata because he loved her... or because the one he loved married someone else? I want to know if he settled."

Boruto was shocked. As far as he could tell, his parents loved each other very much. He never considered for a moment that Naruto might have not loved Hinata. Hearing Neji wonder aloud if Naruto had settled for Hinata made Boruto wonder the same thing.

"I'm sorry," said Neji. "I shouldn't have said that in front of you. It was wrong of me."

"Then why'd you say it?"

"I wasn't thinking. It's been a while since I've interacted with living people like this. If you knew me in life, you would know I struggled with communicating with people. I think I was too blunt. I was mostly quiet but when I did speak, I spoke my mind. I was never afraid to tell people what I thought and be honest. I don't walk on eggshells when speaking to others. To avoid saying things that would upset someone, I simply would not speak. I was never much of a chatterbox anyway. Of course, this is what I think of myself. Someone else might tell you different because they have another perspective. At least I wasn't as bad as Sai. He was far too blunt and didn't stray from speaking his mind, even if it hurt someone's feelings. At least I have that going for me."

"So you just said that to be blunt? Because it was on your mind?"

Neji pointed to the second kunai. "Over there."

Boruto walked over and picked up the kunai and held it in his hand. He walked back to Neji without putting it away.

"I've known for some time that Hinata had feelings for Naruto," Neji went on. "I knew she loved him but never had the courage to say those words to him. I remained silent on the matter. I didn't push her to do anything and I never dropped hints to Naruto. I didn't want to interfere. It's a pain if I do. I want whatever happens to happen naturally. No. Actually, I think I just wanted her to handle it herself. If she loved Naruto, I wanted her to be the one to tell him rather than have someone else break the news to him. Maybe I thought it would be easier that way. Maybe I just wanted Hinata to be more confident. I kept my mouth shut, that's all I know."

"So Mom did love Dad a lot. Even before they were married."

"That's how it's supposed to work," said Neji. "You get married because you're in love. That's the reason." He looked ahead with a sad look in his eyes. "I knew how Hinata felt. I'm just unclear on how Naruto feels about her. I don't think it's one-sided love. Not now. But I want to ask Naruto if he settled for Hinata... Or if he loved her back. And not just because she said she loved him."

Boruto returned the kunai to his pouch.

"I'm mostly curious because I know he had feelings for another girl. But she loved someone else. So I wondered if, because of this, he married Hinata." Neji closed his eyes. "I want Hinata to be happy. She deserves someone who will love her back. To me, it's not enough for her to love him. He must also love her. I want her to be treated well."

Boruto wrinkled his nose at the expression on Neji's face. "Did you love my mom or something?"

Neji opened his eyes. "There are different kinds of love, Boruto. Of course I care about her. We spent some time together and I helped her train and... I got to know her. Maybe that's why I care so much. It's not just a sense of duty. It's because I got to know her and realized what a good and smart and wonderful person she is."

So much so that he was willing to sacrifice his life for hers. For her and Naruto and have no regrets.

Neji looked up at something on the path. "Looks like that's your way home," he told Boruto and pointed. "See? There."

Boruto looked. Light was flickering ahead of them on the path and seemed to get getting brighter and expanding.

"I can't go any further," said Neji. "This is where we part ways."

Boruto turned to him with sad eyes. He had just met his uncle for the first time and now he had to leave. He wanted to spend more time with Neji. He wanted to learn more about him. He didn't want to leave yet. Though he hadn't known him for long, Boruto knew he was going to miss him.

"You're going to be ok, right?" Boruto asked instead of saying good-bye.

"Of course I will be." Neji gave him a smile. A happy and peaceful smile. "I'll just go back to where I belong. And rest."

Boruto nodded once and started to walk away.

At the thought of never seeing Neji again, Boruto turned back quickly and hugged him. Neji, unused to such actions, stood frozen with his arms raised as if he were wading through water.

Neji's body had no heat. It was like hugging a glass statue.

Then Neji lowered his arms and returned the hug.

As soon as his hands touched Boruto's back, he felt warmth. Neji's body was warm.

"Get going before it closes again," Neji warned him.

Boruto nodded and broke away. "Thanks for everything. Bye!"

Neji waved without a word.

Boruto ran backwards for a few steps then faced forward to make sure he was heading in the right direction. When he turned back to wave in a final farewell, Neji was gone. All that remained were few fluttering feathers which quickly disappeared into light and were gone.

Boruto walked forward into the sparkling light which grew darker which each step. The strange plants started to shift and morph into a more familiar sight. There were trees he knew and they didn't cast light like beacons in the dark. The fog soon disappeared and his feet touched grass. He must have crossed the threshold as some point but he never saw an actual gate or pathway. It was as if the two worlds had blended together. It wasn't distinct.

When Boruto looked back, hoping to see the other realm, he saw nothing but the forest and the mountain. He was back. It was as if someone had pulled back a curtain, revealing the place he had left behind. He thought the portal leading back to this world would be more profound and wondrous than this. No beams of light or rushing of wind. Just someone wiping the fog from a window so he could see clearly again.

Boruto wondered if any of that was real. If it could have all been an illusion. He was in such deep thought that he wasn't paying attention and tripped and fell forward. Boruto braced himself on his hands and knees and felt the cool night air around him. This place was real. This was the place he was trying to get back to. He was back and had left the other world and Neji behind.

Before he could collect his thoughts, he heard his name being called.

He looked up and saw his father staring down at him from above. Naruto was standing over him looking both relieved and angry.

"Dad?"

"Don't 'Dad' me!" Naruto shouted. "I told you! I told you not to go on that mission! I didn't assign it to you! I told you no and you did it anyway!"

His father came. Naruto came for him.

"And alone! All by yourself! What could you have been thinking?! You never go on a mission alone! Think!"

Not a clone. His father. The real and original was here before him. This was his father. He came in person to fetch him. He came in person to protect him. To find him.

"What if you had gotten hurt?! If anything happened to you-" Naruto was beside himself with anger. While he was happy to see his son alive and well, he was still furious for being in such a situation. "Disobedience is one thing, you you had no consideration for anyone else! Making your mother worry like that. And me! I was so worried about you! Here I am searching day and night for you, not knowing where you are or what happened! Do you have any idea- Do you have even the slightest- Ah, I'm so angry right now I can't even..! I'm searching high and low for you and have no idea if you had gotten lost or kidnapped or killed or what! If anything had happened to you..! You just love pissing me off, don't you?! Running off and doing a mission alone I told you not to go on and you did it anyway! I can't believe how-"

"I'm sorry!" Boruto cried.

Naruto froze, looking down at his son.

"I'm sorry! You were right!" Boruto couldn't hold back the tears anymore. He couldn't stop himself from crying. "You were right! I wasn't ready! I shouldn't have gone on my own like this! I'm sorry, Dad! I'm sorry!"

Naruto no longer had the words. Everything he wanted to yell drained out of him. He was no longer angry. He looked down at his crying son and had nothing left to say. All he wanted to do now was comfort him.

"Took the wind out of your sails, didn't he?" came Kurama's snide remark before falling silent once more.

Naruto remembered what it was like to be this young. He remembered going on his first non-D rank mission and freezing as soon as danger struck. He let Sakura and Sasuke pick up the slack while he just stood there, too shocked to move. Too afraid, too unsure, too unprepared. He didn't know why he had frozen like that at the time. He thought it was because he was weak, but that wasn't the case. He was human. He was a child. He wasn't ready. Most weren't. Anyone would have frozen the way he had, but he thought there was something wrong with him because Sasuke didn't. He seemed to know exactly what he was doing.

Unlike Naruto's experience, Boruto had gone alone. He had no back-up. No one. Naruto had no idea what Boruto had experienced but he knew it must have been far worse than his first real mission because he had no one with him. Naruto at least had a team. Boruto did not.

Honestly, Naruto would have been amazed and even worried if Boruto hadn't broken down crying like this.

Naruto looked his son over and saw his tattered jacket and ripped pant legs, his mud-soaked clothes, missing backpack, dirty face covered in tears and the poorly wrapped bandage on his palm. Boruto must have been through a lot.

He vented his anger and lectured his son. He had nothing else to yell. Now he had to comfort him.

Naruto bent down and pulled his son close to his body and shushed him. He let Boruto cry into his chest while he rubbed his back and stayed quiet. It was Boruto's turn to let it out.

He came. He came in person for his son. Not a clone, but the real thing. Naruto came for him. That thought made Boruto so happy. His father truly did care.

He was happy to see him again. Happy to know he cared so much. Happy he came for him. Happy he was looking for him all this time and came in person rather than sending someone else in his place.

His tears of joy were mixed with tears of fear and sadness and stress. Everything was coming out in his tears. Everything that had gone wrong, everything he had been afraid of.

He cried in the comforting arms of his father, feeling safe for the first time in three days.

"Boruto," said Naruto when he felt his son calming down. "You have to understand. I can't allow you special privileges just because you're my kid. It wouldn't be fair to the other ninja. I've been on missions. I know what they're like. All of them. And because of that, I can't let you go on a mission I know you're not ready for. I know you're strong and I know you're skilled, but these missions are really tough. I couldn't let you go on a mission like this just yet and I would never let you go alone. From now on, I need you to listen to me when it comes to these types of missions. I know what I'm talking about. I want you to be safe. I want you to be ready."

This time, Boruto didn't argue his point or try to lecture his father. This time he just listened.

"When I was your age, I begged for a higher ranked mission, too. The Hokage wouldn't let me have one. Not just because of me. He was also considering the rest of the team. I couldn't go on a mission alone. I have to have a team with me. If they weren't ready, there was no way he would assign us a more advanced mission. We all had to be a team and work together. We work as one. If one wasn't ready or if one was and the others weren't, the whole mission could fall apart. I know that was part of his reason for not letting us have a more advanced one. He didn't have to admit it. I figured it out years later. He lectured me about how being fresh new ninja, we had to first learn a lot of the basics. We have to start at the bottom and work our way up. I didn't like that."

Boruto was no longer sniffling or crying. He listen with interest to his father's story.

"He finally let us go on an advanced mission. I remember being so excited. The guy who hired us was a real jerk. Not only that, but he had lied about the mission and its difficulty. He was being targeted by powerful ninja. He never told us that which made the mission even more advanced than we were prepared for. We were told we were getting a C mission, but this was actually more like a B mission or higher. Kakashi-sensei told us it might be an A mission and we were not ready for that. So you see, Boruto, sometimes the people who hire you for a mission will lie to you about what it entails."

Boruto nodded. He had to be extra prepared just in case something like that ever happened. It also sounded similar to what Neji had told him about being prepared even on a low ranking mission because anything could happen.

"I froze on my first real mission and my teammates had to help me out while I just stood there. I thought I was so weak, but I was just shocked because I wasn't prepared for the things I would see or face. I thought it would all go so smoothly. I was wrong. Then I got really scared when our sensei was captured and was about to be killed. He had to rely on us to save him and we weren't ready. And Kakashi-sensei was super cool and strong and amazing. To think someone like him could get into trouble was impossible as far as I was concerned. It just goes to show that it can happen to anyone no matter how strong you are or how prepared. It's part of being a ninja on a mission. Even when you're not on a mission there are dangers. And missions can be more complicated than you think."

Naruto had never told his children about his battle with Zabuza and Haku. He had never told them about a lot of his missions. Maybe he should tell Boruto about this one. It might help him learn something.

Naruto proceeded to tell his son all about his mission against Zabuza. Boruto listened without interrupting. He told Boruto about the hard battle and how people died and how Sasuke was nearly killed. Naruto admitted he made a lot of mistakes and how Kakashi corrected him and tips he gave Naruto and the rest of the team.

"Which is why I want you to get more experience because I know how dangerous even a simple mission can be." Naruto put his hand on his son's head and leaned in close. "I'm sorry you didn't get your way, but you have to understand that I'm only trying to look out for you. Ok?"

Boruto nodded.

"And I did bend the rules a little bit. If you go on five more D missions, then I will let you and your squad go on a more advanced mission. But only if your sensei feels you're ready. You and your whole team. That sound good to you?"

Boruto nodded again. "Ok."

"Good." Naruto stood up and helped Boruto to his feet. Naruto's head turned to the five-tailed fox watching them from the edge of the forest. His silent green eyes were communicating with Naruto's blue ones. Naruto nodded to him with a smile.

Seeing his father nod at something, Boruto turned his head and saw the fox.

His eyes widened. He remembered seeing this fox before. It was years ago but he remembered. He had forgotten all about it since he was so little at the time. That was why he was skeptical of what Hoshi was telling him. He had forgotten he had seen a kitsune as well. Once when he was small. He had seen it from his window in the Leaf Village.

How could he have forgotten such an amazing sight?

Seeing the fox again made his heart skip a beat and stare in amazement.

It nodded once then turned and ran off into the forest. He saw it scurry up the side of the mountain, all the way to the top. From this distance, it looked like a tiny flame. It ran at such speed it might as well have been flying. It reached the top, looked back once and disappeared from view.

Boruto looked over his shoulder and saw his father sharing this experience with him. They watch it together.

"Come on, Boruto. Let's go home."

"But what about..?" Boruto's question went unfinished when he saw Hoshi walking back home with the king, guards dragging the two men back to the palace to be dealt with. The stolen goods were with them as well. Everything had been resolved.

Boruto followed his father out of the town and up the hill towards the path in the trees. It was going to be a long walk and Boruto was tired from everything that had happened in the past few days. He was happy to be going home with his father. They would finally get to spend some time together, just the two of them.

Then he remembered Neji's unanswered question and wanted to put those uncertainties to rest. Boruto himself was a little more than curious. He wanted to know the answer.

"Hey, Dad?"

"Yes?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Did you settle for Mom?" he asked bluntly.

Naruto stopped and looked at the boy at his side. "What kind of question is that? Why would you..?"

"Did you settle for Mom?" he asked again, a little more firmly. "There was another girl you liked, wasn't there? Did you settle for Mom instead because you couldn't get her? The one you wanted..?"

Naruto looked hurt. Then his face went through several different expressions. He looked upset at being asked such a thing, then he looked sad. Then a little angry, then sad again. Then he made a face Boruto hadn't seen before. He couldn't place the expression. He looked like he was being told to do something he didn't want to do but knew he had no choice in the matter.

"Boruto..."

He was afraid to hear his answer. He always thought his parents had a good marriage and loved each other. If Naruto answered him any differently, in any way to contradict how he viewed their relationship, Boruto would have been devastated. He didn't know what he would do. It would change everything. The way he saw his parents, the way he viewed his father and how he felt about him. Everything.

"I love your mother," Naruto answered. "But... she loved me first and I was too stupid to notice. She told me one day and I was shocked. I had no idea she felt that way about me. Though I wasn't in love with her at the time, I did like her. I considered her a good friend. I trusted her and believed in her."

So she did confess her feelings first.

"It's true. I did have feelings for someone else," Naruto confessed.

Before Boruto could get upset, Naruto added something important.

"But I wasn't in love with her."

Boruto looked at his father in surprise. "Huh?"

"I had a crush on her at school. I thought she was cute. But she had feelings for someone else and she didn't feel that way about me. Even when he showed no interest in her and left, she still loved him. Her feelings were that strong. We spent a lot of time together. We were close. But she didn't love me and I didn't love her in that way. I loved her as my friend and teammate, but I wasn't in love with her."

"But you just said you had a crush on her."

"A crush isn't always the same as love. I thought she was cute." Naruto sighed and gave a roll of his eyes. "I couldn't always tell the difference between loving someone and actually being in love. To tell the truth, I did have fantasies of her and I going on dates and stuff, but those were just fantasies. Pretend. In reality, I knew she loved someone else so I would never have a shot. And even if she gave up on him and went after me, I wouldn't accept it. Because I knew her heart was with someone else. She would be lying to herself if she went with me. I knew that."

"Then why did you have fantasies of you two dating if you didn't really love her?"

"I think it's because I wanted to be loved by someone and no one ever did. She was the closest who came to... I guess I just..." Naruto sighed again. "Because I thought she was pretty and she was my teammate... Maybe that's why I had those thoughts. She was the only girl close to me. We spent a lot of time together. We were good friends, but just friends. Feelings are complicated. I just wanted someone to love me and someone I could love back. Because I didn't think anyone felt that way about me, I settled for thinking she and I could be an item even though I knew it would never happen."

Naruto's feelings were difficult to put into words. He knew what he meant but wasn't sure if Boruto understood. He wanted his words to come out the way he intended them to.

"The point is," said Naruto, "I wanted someone to truly love me. Actually be in love with me. I wanted to know what it was like to be loved. Someone who loved me and someone I loved back. So no, Boruto. I did not settle. I do love your mother. After I knew she loved me, we spent time together so I could see if I could love her, too. If I didn't then I knew marrying her would not be right. It wouldn't be fair to her if I didn't return her love."

A smile appeared on Naruto's face and his cheeks started to turn a light pink.

"I discovered that I did love her. We both fell in love with each other. That's why we're married. And that's why we had you and your sister. We bonded together. We loved each other and still do. You are an expression of the love that we share. You and Himawari. I wouldn't have married her and had kids if I didn't return her love. I love her back. So don't worry, Boruto. I do love your mother. I did not settle. I wanted to share my life with someone I loved who loved me back. We both love each other very much, Boruto."

This wasn't the answer he had been dreading. This was the answer he was hoping for.

Boruto smiled, satisfied.

Naruto put his hands on his hips. "Well, ready to go?"

Boruto nodded. "Yeah."

"Alright. Let's head back."

Naruto held out his arm, gesturing for Boruto to come. When Boruto stepped forward, Naruto stepped beside him and walked with his arm around his son's shoulder.

Boruto's smile spread.

This was what he wanted. Time with his father.

They walked through the town and up the hill side by side. Boruto was exhausted and sore so he walked in silence. To fill the silence, Naruto spoke quietly to his son as they walked.

"I heard that you're considered a prodigy in your class. That you're able to learn Jutsu quickly and that you're clever. That's good to hear about your son. But being a prodigy doesn't make you invincible. Even the guy who was top of the class ran into trouble and got hurt on missions."

Naruto was referring to Sasuke but he didn't mention his name to Boruto.

"That's the thing, Boruto. You can pass all the tests and graduate top of your class, but there will always be someone out there who is better than you. Someone who is also top of their class but with different skills. And learning in a classroom is controlled. You know what you're going to be tested on and when. You can pass every test they give you, but getting out there and doing it is far different."

"Yeah," Boruto said, thinking of Neji. "Someone told me that recently."

"We had combat training in school, too. They're trying to show you what it's going to be like to fight someone who's moving. Learning proper fighting techniques is one thing, but you must apply it to a real-life fight. In a real battle, your opponent isn't going to hold still and let you grab him. It's much harder. Even when you're using it on each other, you're all around the same age and height. If you're taking on someone who is bigger and older than you, it's going to be a lot harder, like I said."

"Yeah, I know."

"As good as you are, Boruto, I want you to be smart about this. Real-life is different from controlled lessons in a classroom. Even the class genius runs into trouble as well as the one with the highest scores. Remember that."

Boruto wasn't as strong as he thought. He passed his classes and did well on all the drills, but when it came to going outside the village, he was ill-prepared. Going out and doing it was far different.

He understood that now.

As they entered the path through the trees on the hill, they heard a sound in the distance.

Boruto stopped and listened to the strange howl. A kind of salute that sounded like his father's name coming from the mountain.

"Narutoooooooooooo!"

Boruto looked at his father who was also listening to the odd sound. It was foreign to Boruto but meaningful to his father. They listened together until the sound faded away.

With a smile on his face, Naruto motioned for Boruto to follow. "Come on. Let's go home."

* * *

Almost done!

Please review! ^-^


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14:**

When they finally returned home after a long journey, the first thing his mother did was throw her arms around him.

"Where have you been? You had me worried sick! If anything had happened to you..." Hinata held him at arm's length. "Look at you. You're hurt!"

Boruto looked down at his tattered, dirty clothes, scraped and bruised legs, cuts on his flesh and bandage around his right hand.

"Yeah, sorry, Mom. But I'm not really hurt. It's worse than it looks. I'm ok. Honest."

Hinata sighed, looking at her son.

"I'm ok, Mom."

"Let me see your hand." Hinata unwrapped her son's bandage and looked at his wound. "You're lucky this didn't get infected. Does it sting? Throbbing? Let me treat this for you. We have to keep it clean."

Boruto watched his mother clean and re-bandage his hand, all the while looking very concerned. Her child was hurt. Her beloved son.

He left without telling her a thing. He didn't even say good-bye. Or that he loved her.

If he had died on this mission... If he never came home...

What would that do to her? If this was how she was now...

What was he thinking? How could he make her worry like this? She didn't deserve this kind of stress. He was angry at his father, not her. He should have been more considerate. He didn't stop to think what his actions would do to her. How they would effect her.

"I'm sorry, Mom."

Hinata finished dressing his wound and looked up.

"I'm sorry," he said again, a little softer.

She brushed her hand against his cheek and kissed his forehead. "It's ok. You're home now. That's what's important."

He really thought she would shout or scream at him for this. She was surprisingly calm and understanding about all of this. Did she think he had been through enough? Was his emotional pain his punishment?

Boruto thought he got off easy.

"But from now on when your father tells you not to go on a mission, you listen to him," Hinata said firmly. "If not for him than for me. I was so worried. I didn't know where you were or what happened to you. If you were lost or hurt or dead. I didn't know what to think. Don't ever scare me like that again."

Boruto nodded. "Ok."

"I mean it, Boruto."

"Ok. I got it. I'm sorry."

Hinata looked up at her husband.

Naruto was looked exhausted himself. There were bags under his eyes and his face was looking pale. After running and searching for the past couple of nights, he was about ready to collapse. He hadn't slept at all.

"Did either of you rest on the way back here?" she asked.

"No," answered Naruto. "Came straight back here so you wouldn't worry. Carried Boruto part of the way on my back so he could rest a little."

"You look awful."

Naruto's body started to sway slightly. "I'm alright." He forced a grin onto his face. "Sitting behind a desk all the time... It's good to get up and move every once in a while."

He could have stayed at home and sent a clone out to find his son, but he didn't do that. He went to find Boruto himself. It wasn't because he didn't think of it. He knew he had to do it himself. The Nine-Tailed beast might argue with him about it and call him foolish, but Naruto would argue back that he wouldn't understand. He wasn't a father, but Naruto was. He would do anything for his family. Now that he finally had one, he wanted to protect it with his own hands. Just as he did the village.

Hinata strengthened up. "I wasn't sure when you'd be back, but I made breakfast for us anyway. You must be hungry."

Boruto looked up at his dad. "It's almost sunrise. Don't you have to go back to your office or something?"

Boruto was too tired for his bitterness to show through, so his question was surprisingly calm.

Naruto shook his head. "The sun hasn't come up yet. I can sit here and have breakfast with you."

Boruto smiled.

Hinata set two plates in front of her men. "I was so restless, I started cooking early today. Just eggs and toast. I can make other things if you like. Oh, tea! I forgot to make tea. Just give me a second."

"It's fine," said Naruto. "This is good, Hinata. Thank you."

Hinata set the teapot on the bookcase as she moved around the first-aid kit she had set on the floor. She had to pick this up first before someone tripped over it.

She put the first-aid kit back where it belonged, then returned to the kitchen to cater to her husband and child.

"I can make you some pancakes if you like. It'll just take a..."

When she returned, she found both her husband and son asleep at the table, their half-eaten plates beside their heads. They had fallen asleep in the same position.

"Like father, like son." Hinata smiled. "They must be so tired after all that."

She could only imagine what they had been through. What Boruto had been through.

She decided not to tell her daughter about what Boruto had really done. Or anyone else for that matter. It would be their secret. If Boruto wanted to tell everyone, that was his business. She wouldn't be the one to do it. She had a feeling Naruto felt the same way. He wouldn't mention it to anyone.

Seeing how tired they both were, Hinata also decided not to tell anyone Naruto was here unless they came looking for him. If Shikamaru showed up like he had the day before asking questions pertaining to Naruto's empty chair, she would have to tell him that Naruto was taking the morning off. She wouldn't tell him why, just that he was in need of some rest.

"I think I'll have some tea, even if it is by myself." Hinata went back into the kitchen, looking for the teapot. "Now where did I put that?"

She looked all over the kitchen but couldn't find it. She knew she had it in her hands a few moments ago. Where had she left it?

Then she got a strange sensation. Something was telling her to turn around.

She turned and saw the teapot on the bookcase. "Oh. Of course."

She was in such a rush, she had forgotten where she put it.

As she crossed the room and reached to pick up the teapot, she spotted something out of the corner of her eye.

Her hand froze just before her fingers could touch the handle.

She turned her head.

As dawn's first light flowed in through the window, she thought she saw someone standing in its glow.

For a brief moment, illuminated by the sun, she thought she saw the face of someone she knew from long ago. The one who saved her life and that of her husband's. Someone who was never gone from her memories.

Just as quickly, the long-haired figure was gone from her sight.

Hinata stood quietly, staring in the direction he had been standing a moment ago.

He was just there, standing beside the bookcase.

Hinata looked but couldn't find him.

She stood with her hand lightly touching her chest.

She knew what she saw.

She saw his smile.

Hinata felt a tear roll down her cheek and gently wiped it away.

Without knowing how, she sensed him. How he felt in that moment.

He was at peace.

Hinata smiled.

Though Neji was dead, he wasn't gone. Not from her thoughts and not from her heart.

Had he been part of the reason for Boruto's safe return? Had Neji become her family's guardian angel? Was he watching over her children when she could not?

Perhaps Neji heard her.

Taking in a deep breath, Hinata smiled again and watched the sunrise.

When she saw a flock of birds fly off from their porch, she turned back to the bookcase and carried the teapot back into the kitchen.

* * *

The end!

I hope you enjoyed it. I didn't intend for this fiction to be very long.

Even if the kitsune didn't have a massive roll in this, that was kind of intentional as they were really more of Naruto's story.

But, hey, they could be in a future fiction. After all, Himawari never got to meet them. ;)

Thanks for reading and please review! ^-^


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